Tottenham host Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday evening with pressure mounting on manager Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs are enduring a difficult season in the Premier League and sit 14th with just seven matches left to play. They have lost 16 of their league games this year though ended a run of back-to-back defeats with a 3-1 win over Southampton last time out.
In Europe they have fared much better. They finished fourth in the league phase after five wins from eight before defeating AZ Alkmaar 3-2 on aggregate to reach this round.
In comparison, Eintracht Frankfurt finished fifth in the table, one point below Spurs, and cruised past Ajax 6-2 in the last-16. They sit third in the Bundesliga though are 20 points behind leaders Bayern Munich and will have their sights set on winning this tournament.
Follow all the Europa League action with our live blog below:
Eintracht Frankfurt put the pressure on Spurs
Spurs’ opponents today are having a better time of it, third in the Bundesliga, although 20 points off the pace of leaders Bayern Munich. They also have recent history in the Europa League, winning the tournament in 2022.
Manager Dino Toppmoller aimed to put the pressure on their hosts, saying: “We come up against the top favourites tomorrow in my opinion. I think Tottenham are the big favourites.
“At the beginning of the season, Spurs and Man United were clearly the top two favourites, but we have a first head-to-head against Tottenham and it’s something quite special. We’re certainly ready for it.”
Spurs hoping for trophy to salvage their season
A European trophy would significantly improve what has been a poor season otherwise for Spurs. Injuries have played a significant factor in why they sit 14th in the top flight with only seven matches still to play, but even with plenty of their big names back the middling performances and general sense of malaise don’t seem to have gone anywhere.
But they won 3-1 last time out – admittedly not much of an achievement over the Premier League’s bottom side – to condemn Southampton to an early relegation and stop a run of back-to-back defeats.
Routes to the quarter-final
The final standings of the league phase suggest this tie could be a close one. Eintracht Frankfurt finished just one point below Spurs in the table, with an equal number of wins – five – but two losses compared to Spurs’ one.
They hammered Ajax 6-2 on aggregate to progress to the last eight.
Routes to the quarter-final
Spurs have had an indifferent season in the Premier League but have fared much better in Europe, finishing fourth in the league phase with five wins from eight games.
Ange Postecoglou’s side beat AZ Alkmaar 3-2 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals, although a first-leg defeat set up a nervy finish to that tie.
How to watch
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 3, with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can also watch online via discovery+.
Good afternoon
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first leg of Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
We’ll have all the build-up and action in what could be a pivotal game for Spurs – and manager Ange Postecoglou – with kickoff at 8pm.
Source: independent.co.uk
