Tottenham Hotspur secure Europa League semi-final spot with Frankfurt win
What's the story
Tottenham Hotspur have booked their berth in the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 semi-finals, after a hard-fought 1-0 win over German side Eintracht Frankfurt.
The match, held at Deutsche Bank Park on Friday night, saw Dominic Solanke score the only goal from the penalty spot.
The win also sealed a 2-1 aggregate win for Spurs, keeping their hopes alive for ending a 17-year trophy drought.
Penalty advantage
Solanke's penalty puts Spurs ahead in crucial match
The turning point of the match arrived just before halftime when Solanke converted a penalty, giving Tottenham an edge in the tie.
The penalty was awarded after Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos collided with James Maddison while trying to claim a long ball forward.
Initially, referee Davide Massa didn't award a spot-kick but changed his decision after a VAR review and booked Santos.
Defensive resilience
Tottenham's defense holds firm under pressure
Despite a couple of missed chances to double their lead, Tottenham's defense stood strong against Frankfurt's incessant attacks.
Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pedro Porro were instrumental in keeping the lead intact.
Guglielmo Vicario also produced a stunning save to deny Fares Chaibi's close-range header, showcasing commendable commitment from Spurs at the defensive end.
Upcoming challenges
Tottenham's season hangs in balance
Tottenham's season and their search to end a 17-year trophy drought remain alive.
But manager Ange Postecoglou's men will soon be up for another challenge as they gear up to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Monday.
The upcoming fixture could further test the mettle of Spurs after their hard-fought victory over Frankfurt.
Information
Here are the match stats
Hosts Frankfurt had 14 attempts with 5 shots on target. Spurs had three shots on target from 12 attempts. Frankfurt had 61% ball possession and an 85% pass accuracy from 535 passes.
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As per Squawka, Solanke won more duels (11) and more aerial duels (9) than any other Tottenham player against Eintracht Frankfurt. Solanke scored his 11th goal for Spurs in all competitions since joining the club last summer.
Opta stats
Key records from the match
Frankfurt have won just two of their last nine knockout round matches in major European competition (L4 D3).
Against sides from Germany, Spurs are now unbeaten across their last 5 major European matches (W3 D2).
Frankfurt have won just one of their last 6 meetings against Spurs in Europe.
This is Tottenham's 2nd major European semi-final within the last 7 seasons. They reached the Champions League final in 2018-19.