UEFA Europa League Performance Insights: Tottenham vs Bodø/Glimt

Tottenham Hotspur have a tentative foot in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League final after winning the first leg of their last-four tie 3-1. The north London side opened up a three-goal cushion inside 61 minutes, but Bodø/Glimt's late consolation means the tie is far from over going into the second leg in northern Norway.

Following on from our look at how Tottenham blunted Bodø/Glimt's build-up, UEFA Technical Observer Rui Faria dives deeper into the physical and mental demands placed on players during a key European semi-final, the challenges both teams faced in and out of possession, the various strategies Spurs used, how the Norwegian side dealt with the hosts' pressure and how the English hosts responded to keep control.

Spurs man-mark holding midfielder

We can see Spurs' defensive strategy in the above graphic, with James Maddison in a man-marking role on defensive midfielder Sondre Brunstad Fet. In front of Maddison, Dominic Solanke occupies the two central defenders in a 1v2. To stop Bodø/Glimt's full-backs, Brennan Johnson and Richarlison push onto Fredrik André Bjørkan and Fredrik Sjøvold.

Maddison's effectiveness as a man-marker is clear in the first video as he stays close to his man, screens and anticipates, always applying pressure.

"The challenge for players marking is to be able to track both player and ball at the same time," comments Rui Faria, "as well as being well-positioned to stop the marked player from being able to influence or even receive the ball. We see that well in the video.

"A man-marker needs mental and physical resilience and, done well, can minimise the role of a key player. The potential negatives are that the player doing the man-marking can be dragged out of position, breaking the team's balance, opening spaces and allowing opponents to explore those spaces."

Bodø seek solution with spare centre-back 

This graphic shows Bodø/Glimt ball carries done as defenders drove forward into space. In the second video, we see how, with the defensive midfielder man-marked by Maddison, a Bodø/Glimt central defender carries the ball forward into the space in front. That area is widened by the defensive midfielder moving away, the midfielder knowing his man-marker will go with him.

"The decision for a central defender to progress with the ball is normally because there's space allowed by the opposition and a strong possibility to progress up the pitch," explains Faria. "Other factors may include a lack of options to pass the ball, so the defender can carry it forward."

1v1 situations where the centre-backs and full-backs overcome pressure

This graphic illustrates how Bodø/Glimt's defenders carried the ball more in the first game against Tottenham than in any of their four previous Europa League outings.

The third video below offers a clear example of the Norwegian side's defenders taking the decision to drive into the space based on the pressing angle of the opposition. The opponents are, in turn, looking to block the defenders' passing options.

"The defenders read the situation, measure the risks of taking the ball forward – even though they are the last men back – and apply good technical skills to overcome opposition," observes Faria. "The examples show that they made the correct decisions in that context.

"It's important to give confidence to players to find the best answers in playing situations – even with such risks as taking a forward on one v one. They should also be able to understand the importance of measuring risk-taking when you are the last line of defence."

Spurs adapt to challenge, syncing press

The standard approach to pressing must also adapt to the circumstances; if a winger only focuses on pressing his full-back counterpart, this may prove restrictive.

Tottenham adapted well to the variety of situations, synchronising their pressing with their left winger and full-back pressing in unison: the former targeting the Bodø/Glimt centre-back, enjoying support from the latter pressing his full-back counterpart, thus increasing – and effectively duplicating – the overall team press.

"Spurs have triggers between the players to identify the moment to press," says Faria. "The unpredictability of the match means multiple decision-making from multiple players: sometimes when one goes to press it influences another to do the same. It's important to press as a team, keeping good distances between players to allow a good coverage of spaces, and Spurs do this.

"The team moves as a block to the position of the ball, keeping their structure and good relations between positions, and so winger and full-back have more ability to split pressure and be able to succeed."

Pressure from Spurs

In the final video we observe the extent of Spurs' pressure, with the centre-forward pressing against the central defenders. Other Tottenham players limit the chance for Bodø/Glimt to pass to the right full-back and there are five or six Spurs players directly involved in the press. Each is well positioned with the right body shape to minimise passing angles.

"The intention is to push the opposition to play on a certain side, thus being able to reduce space and recover the ball," explains Faria. "By pressing and cutting the angles of the passes Bodø/Glimt can make, Spurs reduce their time to make decisions and make it more possible to recover the ball and counterattack. In other parts of the game, the Bodø/Glimt central defenders would have driven forward with the ball, but here Spurs press so well that even that option isn't viable for them."

This semi-final first leg provided some interesting questions on the pitch – and with a relatively open score, the return match in Norway might offer different answers.