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Maybe Ange Postecoglou’s luck has finally turned? Having complained that the football gods were against him last week, Dominic Solanke’s penalty after an intervention from the video assistant referee – another of the Tottenham manager’s pet peeves – was enough to seal progress to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Postecoglou may have regretted his decision to point out back in September after a defeat to Arsenal that he “always” wins trophies in his second year at a club. But after their north London rivals eased past the might of Real Madrid 24 hours earlier, Spurs also still have something to hang on to in a season that has otherwise been filled with disappointment.
A showdown with Bodø/Glimt or Lazio awaits in the last four after this dogged display against an Eintracht Frankfurt side who could not break down a disciplined Tottenham defence. Solanke had not scored since 4 January – a run of 12 matches – but there were unbridled celebrations in the away end when he stroked home the decisive spot-kick just before half-time and at the full-time whistle after more than five minutes of injury time.
Postecoglou has increasingly cut a defiant figure in recent weeks as results in the Premier League have gone from bad to worse despite the return from injury of several key players. The Australian spikily suggested beforehand that Spurs supporters should not take being one match away from the last four of a European competition as a regular occurrence “because it certainly hasn’t been for this club”. In the absence of the captain, Son Heung-min, due to a foot injury, Mathys Tel was the only change from the 1-1 draw in the first leg, while Frankfurt were unchanged.
Their manager, Dino Toppmöller, had urged his players to make home advantage count after surviving a Tottenham onslaught during the second half in north London last week. The Frankfurt supporters packed out the end behind one of the goals almost an hour before kick-off and there was an electric atmosphere as they unfurled a tifo when the players emerged with the message “the Eagles are on the hunt” with trophies representing their two previous triumphs in this competition and its predecessor, the Uefa Cup.
Almost 3,000 Spurs fans also braved the incessant rain as Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Mario Götze both tested Guglielmo Vicario’s handling on the greasy surface with early shots. There was a moment of panic when Hugo Ekitike raced on to a long punt forward from goalkeeper Kauã Santos but Micky van den Ven ate up the ground to get back just in time. Götze’s evening came to a premature end when he was taken off clutching his hamstring just before Tottenham had their first sight of goal in the 20th minute, although Tel could not make proper contact with Brennan Johnson’s cutback. The Frenchman was on target with his next effort from distance that drew a good save from Santos, with Pedro Porro pelted by plastic cups as he prepared to take the resulting corner.
Postecoglou will have been pleased with how his side had grown into the game and he was given even more hope on the stroke of half-time. Santos thought he had escaped when he clattered dangerously into James Madison but VAR thought differently to the Armenian referee and sent him to the replay screen. Tel initially looked as if he would take it but eventually Solanke sent the goalkeeper the wrong way as a groggy Maddison was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski after trying to carry on.
One of Toppmöller’s assistants was sent off after reacting to a foul by Johnson that earned him a yellow card just before the break and the hosts began the second half feeling hard done by. A free-kick from 35 yards out from Götze’s replacement, Farès Chaïbi, that had Vicario sprawling across his goal, must have quickened Postecoglou’s pulse. Tottenham had not kept a clean sheet for 10 games but their defence stood firm in the face of concerted pressure.
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Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur both had golden chances to make things more comfortable from corners but neither could hit the target. Ekitike was convinced he should have had a penalty after a Romero clearance but this time VAR correctly said no after replays showed there had been no contact.
Postecoglou must have checked his watch umpteen times as Spurs closed in on victory. Vicario reacted brilliantly to save Chaïbi’s effort with his legs before the former Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen somehow fired wide with the goal gaping to ensure that Tottenham’s season remains very much alive and kicking.
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