Tottenham secured a crucial 3-1 victory in their must-win clash against AZ Alkmaar, progressing to the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate score. This victory kept alive Spurs’ hopes of ending their long trophy drought, which has stretched all the way back to 2008.
Tottenham capitalized on some sloppy defending from Alkmaar in the 26th minute. Dominic Solanke delivered a well-timed pass to Wilson Odobert, who made no mistake with his finish. The 20-year-old Frenchman had missed a large part of the season due to a hamstring injury but made his mark with that clinical goal.
Just after the break, Spurs extended their lead when captain Son Heung-min played a pivotal role in setting up James Maddison, who finished with another fine strike and celebrated with his trademark enthusiasm, putting Tottenham 2-0 ahead.
However, disaster struck in the 63rd minute when a defensive lapse allowed Alkmaar to pull one back. Peer Koopmeiners was the beneficiary of the mistake, scoring for the visitors and putting Tottenham’s progression in jeopardy. Odobert, who had been caught off-guard during Alkmaar’s goal, quickly made amends, netting Tottenham’s third in the 75th minute. His goal came after a stylish team effort that showed off Spurs’ offensive quality.
Despite some tense moments in the final stages, including four minutes of added time, Spurs held on for the win and secured their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals. Tottenham will now face Eintracht Frankfurt in the next round, after the German side demolished Ajax 6-2 on aggregate.
