Solanke snuffs out Bodø threat as Postecoglou turns pragmatic

kick-off, drenching a surface already designed to play quickly. Warming up in incessant rain, Spurs knew they had to have their wits about them. This is a place designed to trip up unsuspecting visitors and the vibe among the locals was remarkably optimistic.

- Jacob Steinberg

They had already seen Porto, Besiktas, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Twente, Olympiakos and Lazio leave this quirky little ground empty-handed this season and the argument that Spurs had not built up enough of a first-leg lead began to feel more compelling as the atmosphere in the stands grew ever more hostile. So much so it seemed that Bodø/Glimt's 8,200 fans hardly needed the jolt of a pre-match fireworks show to get them on their feet.

This remote, windswept Arctic outpost had never experienced anything quite this momentous before. Buoyed up by the return of the influential duo of Patrick Berg and Håkon Evjen in midfield, Bodø/Glimt believed a 3-1 deficit would be wiped out. They were sure that reality was not going to intrude on the fairytale.