UEFA Europa League semi-finals: What to look out for in the second legs

Bodø/Glimt host Tottenham and Athletic Club travel to Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League semi-final second legs, with places in the final in Bilbao at stake.

UEFA.com previews all the action ahead of the encounters on Thursday 8 May.

All kick-off times are 21:00 CET.

Bodø/Glimt vs Tottenham (1-3 agg)

Up until the 83rd minute of the first leg in north London it looked as though Bodø's heroic European journey would be coming to a valiant end as they were outclassed by Tottenham and fell to what looked like being an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.

But if there is one thing we have learned about this Norwegian outfit it is that they never give up, and Ulrik Saltnes' priceless late deflected strike means that Kjetil Knutsen's side will now begin the second leg with a spring in their step and renewed hope that they can enjoy yet another famous night at Aspmyra.

"It was so important," Knutsen said of that goal. "It gives us hope for the home game, because at 3-0 I think we are out – that’s too big a gap. If we learn a lot from this game, maybe we can play better at home and take them on in the next game."

Indeed, there are still plenty of reasons for Bodø optimism: in this tournament they have already beaten Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio at home by a two-goal margin or more, while they will also welcome the return of three key players, captain Patrick Berg, Håkon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen, who were all suspended for the first leg.

For Spurs, meanwhile, it looked set to be a perfect night in front of a raucous home crowd when Brennan Johnson headed them into the lead after just 39 seconds. But the victory had just a little of the gloss taken off it by that Bodø goal, with what seemed a commanding lead suddenly far more perilous.

"I don't think the scoreline reflects our dominance, but at the end of the first leg, all you want is to be in a good position and we've got ourselves into a good position," coach Ange Postecoglou said pragmatically, and Spurs are still strong favourites to progress to a first final in this competition since they won the 1984 UEFA Cup.

They will be keen to learn from past experiences, however. On only nine occasions in the 14-year history of the Europa League have a team recovered from a two-goal first-leg deficit to progress, and Spurs were involved in one of them as they blew a 2-0 first-leg advantage over Dinamo Zagreb to lose 3-2 on aggregate in the 2020/21 round of 16.

It doesn't sound like they will be allowing any complacency to creep in, though, with defender Pedro Porro telling UEFA: "3-1 in a semi-final is a good result, but we need to be at 100% for the [second leg], because the other team are good and we have respect for them."

Did you know: Bodø have now lost on all four occasions they have faced an English opponent in European competition.

Manchester United vs Athletic Club (3-0 agg)

Not even the most optimistic United fan would have dreamed of a 3-0 first-leg away win at the notoriously noisy San Mamés. But a 15-minute blitz at the end of the first half inspired by the irrepressible two-goal hero Bruno Fernandes means that Ruben Amorim's side already have one foot in the final and a return to that same venue on 21 May.

However, the Red Devils only need to look as far back as their extraordinary comeback against Lyon in the previous round to remind themselves that things can change very quickly in football, a point Amorim was keen to emphasise: "We have an advantage and we have our fans, but again this could change. Anything can happen in one game."

Only once have a team surrendered a three-goal first-leg advantage in the Europa League, when Valencia roared back against Basel to win 5-3 on aggregate in the 2013/14 quarter-finals after losing 3-0 in Switzerland.

United, though, will hope the advantage of their home fans can help get them over the line, and they remain the only team unbeaten in this season's competition. Can they complete the campaign without defeat and win this tournament for the second time?

Athletic's dreams of a final on home soil took a heavy knock in that first leg, on a night in which they suffered their joint-heaviest defeat at San Mamés in European competition.

"It's been a hard blow, we came in with spirits high," admitted defender Yeray Álvarez. "But we still have 90 minutes left, we have confidence, and we need to go there to make the comeback and try to turn it around. The word 'confidence' is what we need to focus on, and go there with the greatest of hopes."

If Athletic are seeking inspiration, they can perhaps draw it from the fact that Old Trafford is a stadium the club have won at in recent history, with a dramatic 3-2 victory in a round of 16 first leg in the 2011/12 season.

Scoring at least three goals again without reply is a tall ask, especially given brothers Iñaki and Nico Williams are both ruled out with injury along with top scorer Oihan Sancet, but Athletic will still believe that anything is possible, and this tie may not be over just yet.

Did you know: United have lost only one of their last ten matches against Spanish opposition (W6 D3).

Where is the 2025 Europa League final?

The 2025 Europa League final takes place at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on 21 May. With a capacity in excess of 50,000, the venue is home to Athletic Club and last year staged the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final, in which Barcelona were 2-0 winners against Lyon.

San Mamés Stadium opened in September 2013, replacing the old San Mamés. Its predecessor hosted the second leg of the 1977 UEFA Cup final, Athletic Club beating Juventus 2-1 on the night but losing on away goals, as well as three games at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.