This night was presented as perhaps the biggest in Tottenham season – and it was rightly turned out to be tense.
After seeing their ambitions thwarted on all the other fronts in a disappointing campaign, the Spurs underwent strong pressure before this first leg in the quarter -final against Eintracht Francfurt in the Europa League, their last chance of silverware and European qualification for next season.
The evening started catastrophically, Hugo Ekitike shooting in a beautiful opening match for visitors, but Pedro Porro’s goal attracted the level before the interval.
The Spurs worked feverishly in the second period in search of a winner, but despite the creation of good chances, they could not find another breakthrough.
Here we dissect the main discussion points.
Where does it leave Postcoglou?
Next Thursday’s trip to Frankfurt will now become the decisive game of the Ange Postcoglou era.
This 1-1 first steps leaves this tie in balance. If the Spurs hoped that they would accuse the goals of the first step to give themselves a cushion, then they would have returned home frustrated. Indeed, most people would conclude that this shot in the first leg is tending a close advantage to Frankfurt, even with the rule of the Goals outside which is no longer used.
But this performance, especially in the second half, was much better than many would have planned it. The Spurs crossed the gears, creating a chance after chance. They should have won this match with a few goals and were denied a dramatic winner in the last minute of downtime when Micky Van de Ven’s header was superbly saved by Kaua Santos. And if they had done it, they would fly to Germany next week with the cushion they deserved.
PostCoglou is a pressure manager (Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)
So, even if the chances of the Spurs to reach the Bilbao final have probably slightly fell today, you could say that this game has shown that Postocou’s mandate has not yet been completely running out.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Good and porro evil
To his best, Pedro Porro offers a threat of elite attack rarely accompanied by anyone in his position across Europe. At worst, his defense is erratic, which can expose the spurs.
In the first half, all the porro experience was exposed. It was the worst start possible for the Spurs, conceding in six minutes – and the defense of porro was at least in part to blame.
After James Maddison was discussed in the half of Frankfurt and the German side precipitated the ball forward, Porro was left on an island to defend Ekitike.
Faced with the French striker – who was linked to a great distance from the Bundesliga money in summer – is an intimidating task for anyone, but porro (below) fell and invited his race.
Ekitike ride in space and cut inside …
… Before, with a few porro pressure and the roofer Lucas Bergvall, pulling in the lower corner of the edge of the box.
However, for what porro can miss in the defensive discipline, it can compensate for the final quality of the third. With a license to leave his right rear spot and essentially occupy the role of an attacker when the Spurs were in half of Francfurt, the defender can ghost in the unteashed box.
This is what happened for his goal, with Maddison finding porro near the six -meter box to turn around in the lower corner – a moment of redemption for the two players to recover the spurs in terms of level.
Elias Burke
Porro Backheels Equalizer of Tottenham (Alex Pantling / Getty Images)
Three minutes and four chances that the spurs can be the street
After going behind early, Tottenham was the best side for the majority of the match, their domination summarized in a crazy period of three minutes in the second period.
It started with a thunderous shot from Lucas Bergvall, which gunned out the bar and boosted a crowd previously in a mute to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Supported by a choir of “Come on You Spurs”, Tottenham players rushed forward and Son Heung-Min was next to getting closer, cutting inside the right only so that his effort was saved by the impressive Santos.
From the resulting corner, taken by porro, Rodrigo Bentancur propelled a head towards the goal which struck the transverse bar.
Bentancur hits the bar (glyn kirk / afp via getty images)
A minute later, Maddison may have the best opportunity of the lot, backing on his lower left foot inside the box and pulling a shot on the target, only for Santos to push him back on diving.
With the tie in the balance before the Deutsche Bank Park, known for its intimidating atmosphere, the Spurs could eventually ruin the three -minute fate that would have placed them in the driving seat.
Elias Burke
Ekitike shows why he is a sought after man
Was it the night that Hugo Ekitike announced in the world?
The French striker opened the scoring after only five minutes, scoring a goal which was somehow technically brilliant but also embarrassing from the point of view of the Spurs.
But while Ekitike first took advantage of James Maddison losing possession in good position, allowing Frankfurt to enter the huge space behind him, then porro being happy to keep back rather than intervening, he still had a lot to do.
The 22 -year -old cut inside his right foot, finding space on the edge of the box before Lucas Bergvall could stop him. Finally, Ekitike pulled, and he hit the hard, flat and low ball, sprinkling in the lowest corner of the goal, beyond the dive of Guglielmo Vicario to his left.
Ekitike marks the opening of Frankfurt (Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)
It was a piece of brilliant technique, apparently catching the whole team of Spurs off guard. And it was a reminder of the reason why Ekitike is so appreciated, after having scored 24 goals for Frankfurt since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain two years ago.
It would not be a surprise to see him on an even larger scene than the one early.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
What does Postcoglou say?
The Spurs manager praised the attitude of his team in a promising performance and impatiently awaited the return match in Germany when some of his injured players could return.
“I can no longer ask for guys,” he told TNT Sports. “It was disappointing to concede the way we did. Before I thought we controlled the game well. I thought it would bear fruit in the second period and it was in all aspects but goals.
“Among the other evenings, we leave with a comfortable victory. We have to go there and we knew that it would be decided during the second equality. If we repeat this performance, we give ourselves a chance.
“The second step will be tight for sure, it could even go to overtime, we will need all the guys ready to leave. The right thing is that we have most of them back and health, which is important.”
What is the following for the Spurs?
Sunday April 13: Wolves (Away), Premier League, 2 p.m. UK, 9 a.m.
(Top Photo: Pedro Porro; by Alex Pantling / Getty Images)
