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TOTTENHAM faced quite a challenge in the Arctic Circle, but they were once again saved by an astonishing late display.
Former AC Milan star Jens Petter Hauge netted two remarkable second-half goals, as captivating as the Norwegian night sky, putting the hosts ahead.
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On a night illuminated by the Northern Lights, a lackluster Spurs squad was reminiscent of the Aurora Bore-all-of-us for much of the match, making a defeat appear deserved.
Nevertheless, Thomas Frank’s team showed the same determination that led them to equalize against Wolves on Saturday, managing to earn a crucial point.
Initially, stand-in captain Micky van de Ven scored with a header in the 68th minute.
Then, with just a minute of normal time left, a shot from substitute Archie Gray was saved, but the unfortunate Jostein Gundersen turned it into his own net.
Glimt, who had seen Kasper Hogh sky a penalty before any goals were scored, must surely regret their missed chance to claim victory in their first home match of the Champions League.
They also missed the opportunity to seek revenge on the team that eliminated them in last season’s Europa League semi-finals.
Frank made five changes from the squad that allowed Wolves their first Premier League point of the season, including putting that evening’s hero Joao Palhinha on the bench.
Spurs desperately needed him and fellow substitute Mohammed Kudus as they delivered a first-half performance that could rival last month’s disappointing display against Bournemouth.
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Aside from an early chance created by Lucas Bergvall’s clever outside-of-the-boot pass that Richarlison squandered, Spurs offered almost nothing.
Their lack of ambition against a team they had previously dismissed in the Europa League semi-finals just four months ago was painfully evident.
As they sat back, the home team grew in confidence and began to take control.
Interestingly, the unusual slash in Bodo/Glimt’s name traces back to the 1980s when a hyphen caused confusion in betting slips.
Chaos ensued when Rodrigo Bentancur unexpectedly collided with Fredrik Andre Bjorkan just inside the penalty area shortly after the half-hour mark.
This created a golden opportunity for the men in yellow, with Hogh stepping up to take the penalty.
The strong forward slammed it into the back of the net, but unfortunately for the frustrated home crowd, it struck the massive net behind the stand designed to catch stray balls.
It was a horrible miss and a significant let-off for the pathetically performing Spurs.
Ten minutes later, Glimt squandered another golden chance.
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This time, it was Sondre Brunstad Fet who shot over the bar from eight yards when he really should have scored.
The uninspired side of Frank finally conceded in the 53rd minute when Hauge cut in from the left and curled a superb shot into the far corner.
It was a well-deserved lead for the hosts, as well as for the visitors.
Shortly thereafter, Spurs thought they had equalized when Pedro Porro’s free-kick went across goal, hitting the post before Brennan Johnson’s shot was converted by Bentancur.
However, VAR disallowed it due to Van de Ven’s shirt pull on Bjortuft during the buildup.
Things deteriorated for Spurs as Hauge capitalized on a poor clearance from Vicario to claim his second in the 66th minute, curling it into the far corner with his left foot.
Porro somewhat redeemed himself when he assisted Van de Ven for a header just two minutes later.
Wilson Odobert nearly struck again, hitting the bar with another header. Finally, deep into stoppage time, Gundersen inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, leaving Frank and his team to count their blessings.
