Sunday’s win over Southampton was the latest excursion for Tottenham Hotspur that felt relatively meaningless, a distinction that has sadly become the club’s reality in the Premier League since the calendar hit 2025. The importance of the Europa League could not be any more different, with the season hanging on Spurs’ performance in this competition and Ange Postecoglou’s job attached to it as well.
It took a second-leg comeback — and surviving a second-half scare — against AZ Alkmaar to enter into the quarterfinals, and the level of competition ratchets up significantly from here on out. Still, no one left in the bracket is unbeatable, including Thursday’s opponent, Eintracht Frankfurt. However, the margin for error is razor thin, especially with next week’s fixture being played at the Waldstadion.
Quarterfinals (1st Leg): Tottenham Hotspur (0) vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (0)
Date: Thursday, April 10
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports 3 (UK)
Frankfurt finished fifth in the League Phase, just one place (and one place) behind Tottenham. A 6-2 aggregate victory over Ajax last round sets up this rematch from the 2022-23 Champions League Group Stage, which saw teams end 0-0 in Germany before Spurs won 3-2 at home thanks to a Harry Kane goal and a brace from Heung-Min Son. Speaking of the Champions League, Frankfurt is currently in the top four of the Bundesliga table, but has far from guaranteed qualification next season.
The big thing to highlight with this opponent is scoring. Third in Germany at 1.96 goals per match, Frankfurt has kept this pace up in the Europa League, tallying an even 20 goals in its 10 fixtures this campaign. The defense is closer to average, but is in decent form recently, allowing just seven goals (on 6.6 xGA) over its last six matches across both competitions.
Put up or shut up
Manager and fans alike have lamented the unavailability of the first-choice defense all season long, but finally that is not the problem. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero should be good to go Thursday, and any combination of Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, and Djed Spence will work just fine around them. At the most crucial point of the season, Postecoglou actually has the needed resources at the back (including Guglielmo Vicario), meaning there are no excuses.
Of course, we know that this center back pairing does not ensure a clean sheet by any means. Frankfurt’s attack is going to cause some scares, even with Omar Marmoush now residing in Manchester. French striker Hugo Ekitike is the name to watch, but really any of the attackers will be more than happy to pounce on Tottenham mistakes. If Spurs’ best defenders get beat too many times, this will likely be the final nail.
Come and take it
While the defense seems sorted, it definitely is not clear who will — or should — start for Postecoglou ahead of them. It feels like Son and Dominic Solanke are locked in up front (though perhaps that should be debated), but how long they stay on the pitch is up in the air. That leaves right wing open, with two spots in midfield next to James Maddison as well. How the manager chooses to fill out these positions may determine the tie.
It is not solely up to making the selection, though. Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, and Lucas Bergvall have all shown stretches of promise, but have not fully seized a starting spot. With the lineup in flux and the pressure boiling, the chance is there for someone to lunge ahead and stake their claim. Tottenham cannot head into Frankfurt down in the tie (and really will want to bring some sort of lead on the road), and it gets the benefit of facing a backup keeper. That means goals are a necessity Thursday, but predicting where they would come from feels impossible.