Tottenham Hotspur secured their place in the Europa League semi-finals with a gritty 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to a coolly taken penalty by Dominic Solanke. The striker, who hadn’t scored since early January, ended his drought at a crucial moment, sending Spurs fans into celebration as their team edged through a tense quarter-final second leg in Germany.
The defining moment came just before half-time when James Maddison was clattered by Frankfurt goalkeeper Kauã Santos. Initially waved off by the referee, VAR intervened and a review led to the award of a penalty. Though youngster Mathys Tel appeared ready to take it, Solanke stepped up with confidence and dispatched the spot-kick with composure, sending Santos the wrong way.
Despite missing key figures like captain Son Heung-min due to injury, Tottenham produced a disciplined performance full of character. Manager Ange Postecoglou, under pressure following a run of poor Premier League results, saw his players rally in what was arguably one of their most determined displays of the season.
The defensive pairing of Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie was immense, snuffing out repeated Frankfurt attacks with maturity and strength. Rodrigo Bentancur anchored the midfield with authority, while Maddison—until his injury—was at the heart of Tottenham’s attacking threat. His willingness to put his body on the line ultimately earned the decisive penalty.
The first half saw both teams carve out half-chances, with Frankfurt’s Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Mario Götze testing Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario early on. A threatening run from Hugo Ekitike caused a moment of panic in the Tottenham defence, but Van de Ven’s recovery pace prevented what could have been a dangerous situation. Götze was forced off with a hamstring injury midway through the half, which disrupted Frankfurt’s rhythm.
Tel, deputizing for Son, grew into the game and had a shot saved from distance before the penalty incident. His energy and link-up play gave Spurs a much-needed outlet in the final third. After Maddison’s injury, Dejan Kulusevski slotted in and helped Tottenham see out the second half.
Frankfurt’s frustration grew as the match wore on. One of their assistant coaches was shown a red card following a heated exchange just before the break, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense. They came closest to scoring through a long-range free-kick from Farès Chaïbi that forced Vicario into a full-stretch save. Later, Ekitike appealed for a penalty after Cristian Romero’s challenge, but replays showed there was no contact.
Tottenham had their chances to kill the game, with Romero and Bentancur both going close from corners. As the clock ticked down, nerves crept in. Frankfurt piled on the pressure, but Vicario made a crucial save with his legs from another Chaïbi effort, and Rasmus Kristensen’s late miss with the goal at his mercy sealed the hosts’ fate.
With the win, Spurs now look ahead to a semi-final clash against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt. While the road ahead remains tough, this result offered a glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a turbulent season.
