Tottenham’s hopes of European glory remain in the balance after a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in their Europa League quarterfinal first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The German side stunned the home crowd with an early opener when Hugo Ekitike cut inside Pedro Porro and fired a precise 22-yard strike into the bottom corner after just six minutes. The goal came from a swift counter-attack following James Maddison’s loss of possession in midfield.
Spurs gradually found their rhythm and equalized in the 26th minute through an inventive finish from Porro. After neat combination play between Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, and Maddison, the Spanish right-back produced a delightful back-heel to beat Frankfurt’s goalkeeper Kaua Santos.
The second half saw Tottenham dominate proceedings but struggle to find a winner despite creating several clear opportunities. Young Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall struck the crossbar with a powerful drive, while Rodrigo Bentancur also hit the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Frankfurt’s backup goalkeeper Santos emerged as the visitors’ hero, making crucial saves to deny Son, Maddison, and a stoppage-time header from Micky van de Ven that seemed destined for the net.
This European quarterfinal represents a significant opportunity for Ange Postecoglou amid a challenging domestic campaign. The Australian manager had suggested before the match that even winning the Europa League might not be enough to secure his position, highlighting the pressure surrounding the club.
The result leaves the tie finely balanced heading into next Thursday’s second leg in Germany. Tottenham will need to improve their finishing to progress to their first European semifinal since reaching the Champions League final in 2019.
Frankfurt, currently sixth in the Bundesliga, demonstrated their counter-attacking threat throughout and will fancy their chances of advancing with home advantage in the return fixture. The German side has a strong European pedigree, having won this competition in 2022 under their previous name, the Europa League.