Tottenham put one foot in the Europa League final with a commanding 3-1 victory over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs made a blistering start to the semi-final first leg, taking the lead after just 39 seconds through Brennan Johnson.
The North London side dominated proceedings in front of a raucous home crowd, with the atmosphere befitting a huge European night for Ange Postecoglou's men.
James Maddison extended Tottenham's lead in the 34th minute with an exquisite finish, giving the hosts a comfortable advantage at half-time.
Tottenham did what they had to do at home before the second leg next week in Norway
Reuters
The midfielder pulled the strings throughout the first period, releasing Spurs' forwards with clipped passes over the top.
Tottenham's press clicked into gear as Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur dominated the midfield battle.
Bodo/Glimt attempted to play intricately from the back, but this suited Spurs perfectly.
Maddison, who had earlier described Tottenham's Premier League campaign as "embarrassing", was the standout performer on the pitch.
Dominic Solanke put the result beyond doubt on the hour mark, converting from the penalty spot to make it 3-0.
The spot kick was awarded after Cristian Romero received a kick to the calf from Bodo/Glimt's Fredrik Sjovold in the box.
Solanke calmly rolled the penalty into the corner, sparking triumphant celebrations around the stadium.
At this point, it appeared to be smooth sailing for Postecoglou's side, who looked firmly in control of the tie.
Unfortunately for Spurs, Maddison's second-half injury was a concern on an otherwise positive night.
However, the visitors from Norway gave themselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute.
Dominic Solanke got on the scoresheet but was later forced off with injury
Reuters
Bodo/Glimt midfielder Ulrik Saltnes got one back for the Norwegian champions, firing past Gianluigi Vicario after rolling past a couple of Tottenham challenges.
The goal, which took a deflection off the diving Bentancur, gives Kjetil Knutsen's side something to hold onto ahead of the return fixture.
What had seemed like complete dominance from Spurs suddenly had a slight blemish, introducing some late nerves into proceedings.
Tottenham will now travel to the Arctic Circle next week with a significant advantage, despite the late goal.
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Bodo/Glimt scored late to give them a slimmer of hope going into the second leg
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Bodo/Glimt will hope their artificial pitch and potentially hostile conditions might help them mount an unlikely comeback.
The Norwegian side showed their quality by knocking out Lazio in the quarter-finals, so Spurs cannot afford complacency.
Nevertheless, barring an extraordinary collapse, Tottenham appear set for a potential all-English final against Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21st.
This European run offers Postecoglou the chance to end Spurs' trophy drought dating back to 2008.
