Porro rescues Postecoglou as Spurs held by Frankfurt

Ange Postecoglou’s bid to extremity Tottenham’s agelong trophy drought is delicately poised aft a 1-1 gully against Eintracht Frankfurt successful the Europa League quarter-final archetypal limb connected Thursday.

Postecoglou’s troubled broadside trailed to Hugo Ekitike’s aboriginal extremity successful northbound London, but Pedro Porro hauled them level earlier half-time.

Tottenham laid seige to the Frankfurt extremity successful the 2nd fractional but couldn’t find a victor aft hitting the woodwork twice.

The effect means under-fire Tottenham brag Postecoglou indispensable mastermind a memorable triumph successful the 2nd limb successful Germany connected April 17 to support live his hopes of winning the club’s archetypal trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

The victor of the necktie volition look Bodo/Glimt oregon Lazio successful the semi-finals successful May, with the Norwegian nine taking a 2-0 pb into the 2nd limb against the Italians.

Postecoglou brashly claimed earlier this play that helium ever wins a trophy successful his 2nd campaign, a connection that has made him a hostage to luck passim Tottenham’s turbulent run.

The Australian has endured specified aggravated disapproval lately that helium joked connected Wednesday that helium would inactive beryllium “gone” astatine the extremity of the play adjacent if helium did triumph the Europa League due to the fact that his support standing is truthful debased with Tottenham supporters.

Against a backdrop of changeless instrumentality protests against president Daniel Levy, Tottenham are languishing successful 14th spot successful the Premier League, leaving them successful information of their worst decorativeness since 1993-94, erstwhile they came 15th.

Frankfurt beryllium 3rd successful the Bundesliga array and are hoping to instrumentality to the Europa League last aft winning the tourney successful 2022.

Befitting their respective league positions, Frankfurt started with much assurance and purpose.

– Postecoglou alleviation –

Ekitike had scored 19 goals and provided 8 assists successful 40 appearances anterior to Thursday’s game, making him Frankfurt’s danger-man and a transportation people for respective English clubs.

But Tottenham failed to heed the informing arsenic the 22-year-old struck successful stunning benignant aft conscionable six minutes.

James Maddison conceded possession to curtail a Tottenham onslaught and Frankfurt launched a blistering interruption that climaxed with Ekitike accelerating past Porro to curl a good decorativeness into the bottommost country from the borderline of the area.

Tottenham’s stirring effect was a invited boost for Postecoglou arsenic Son Heung-min’s pin-point transverse reached Dominic Solanke for a header that was clutched by Frankfurt keeper Kaua Santos.

If Ekitike’s opener was an eye-catching moment, Porro’s 26th infinitesimal leveller was adjacent much artistic.

Maddison danced done the Frankfurt defence and chopped his walk backmost to Porro, who produced a sublime back-heeled flick that flashed past Santos from six yards.

Postecoglou’s clenched fist solemnisation was muted capable to suggest his superior emotion was alleviation alternatively than joy.

Ekitike should person restored Frankfurt’s pb from Arthur Theate’s walk connected the changeable of half-time, but the unmarked French striker changeable consecutive astatine Guglielmo Vicario.

Postecoglou had his caput successful his hands erstwhile Tottenham’s young midfielder Lucas Bergvall lashed a fierce thrust against the crossbar from 25 yards.

That was the commencement of a sustained spell of 2nd fractional unit from Tottenham.

Santos made a superb prevention to claw Son’s curler implicit earlier Rodrigo Bentancur’s header from the resulting set-piece cannoned disconnected the bar.

Maddison’s close-range onslaught forced Santos to marque different bully prevention earlier Micky van de Ven’s header was brilliantly palmed implicit by the Frankfurt keeper arsenic the archetypal limb ended connected a weapon edge.

AFP