Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt shared the spoils in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie with a 1-1 draw.
Frankfurt took an early lead through star player Hugo Ekitike in the sixth minute, but Pedro Porro equalised for the hosts 20 minutes later with a stunning backheel.
Spurs had more shots and chances after equalising, but they lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
Tottenham and Frankfurt have both been labelled as inconsistent this season. Spurs, when clicking, can produce exhilarating and electric football and Frankfurt are often dangerous on the transition.
Their inconsistencies were shown throughout this match, though. Dino Toppmöller's side, manager since 2023, didn't offer any threat in different scenarios, whilst Spurs went through periods of the match full of misplaced passes.
Ange Postecoglou's team currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, and any hope of ending their 17-year trophy draught lies solely on the Europa League. But this wasn't a performance that will fill fans with hope that they can go away to a daunting stadium – the Deutsche Bank Park – and reach the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time since 2019.
Story of the Match
Tottenham made two changes to the side that beat Southampton 3-1 on Sunday. Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven came in for Djed Spence and Ben Davies.
Frankfurt lost 2-0 away to Werder Bremen on Saturday, and they made just one change. Rasmus Kristensen, on loan from Leeds, replaced Nnamdi Collins at right-back.
In front of 57,849 fans at a raucous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frankfurt found the perfect start by taking the lead six minutes in. The German side are well-known for their transitional threat and, as they dispossessed James Maddison in the middle of the park, they showcased it again.
Ellyes Skhiri played it out wide to Ekitike, who cut inside and rifled a stunning low effort into the bottom right corner. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has been their main threat all season and his quick burst of pace and stunning finish silenced the hosts, who struggled to find their rhythm early on.
Frustration grew for the hosts in the first 25 minutes, but matches can change in a second. Spurs were the beneficiary of football's famous old story moments later, with Porro equalising with a stunning backheel.
Solanke found Maddison out wide; he went on a dancing run into the box and the playmaker found Porro within the box. In a congested area, the Spaniard produced a spectacular backheel to finish off a brilliant passage of play.
Spurs dominated possession throughout the first half, averaging 61%, but they lacked the cutting edge. Frankfurt came closest to scoring again before the whistle blew; goalscorer Ekitike nearly replicated his moment of magic, but this time he fired his shot directly at Guglielmo Vicario.
Any chance that Frankfurt did get came on the transition. They often targetted Spurs' right-hand side, avoiding the pace and power of Van de Ven, and it nearly ended up with another goal at the start of the second period. Jean-Mattéo Bahoya was slipped in behind, but the 19-year-old opted to square it across the face of goal, which Spurs eventually cleared, instead of shooting.
But Spurs remained on top. Lucas Bergvall nearly scored one of the goals of the season 55 minutes in, cutting inside two midfielders before rifling a shot off the crossbar. Heung-Min Son followed that up with a curling effort from the left, only to be denied by an outstretched save from Kaua, whilst Maddison's driven effort was saved by the 21-year-old.
As the match seemed to peter out, Spurs had two golden opportunities to snatch victory. With eight minutes to go, substitute Spence cut it back into the box for Brennan Johnson, but the winger fired his effort high of the goal. Meanwhile, with essentially the last kick of the game, Van de Ven's downward header was miracolously tipped over the bar by Kaua.
Player of the Match – Lucas Bergvall
This wasn't two world-class teams going head-to-head. Instead, it was two sides who had clear flaws and didn't take advantage. However, one shining light for Tottenham once again was young central midfielder Bergvall.
In his first season at the club, Bergvall has continually improved, and he asserted himself in the middle of the park tonight in emphatic fashion. The 19-year-old nearly scored a stunning goal as well, rattling the bar with an audacious effort from distance.