Spurs' identity 'more important than ever' admits Ange Postecoglou ahead of season-defining Europa League game
Published 17/04/2025 at 09:21 GMT+1
Tottenham Hotspur's season comes to a crossroads on Thursday as they face the daunting prospect of overcoming Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt away from home in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League tie. Spurs wasted numerous chances to draw 1-1 in the first leg, and Postecoglou has made it clear that their footballing identity will be key to securing a semi-final spot.
Postecoglou: Eintracht keeper Santos 'ridiculous', Spurs deserved 'comfortable' win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ange Postecoglou has said that Spurs retaining their identity is "more important than ever" if the club want to book their spot in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
Thursday will see the north London side travel to Deutsche Bank Park, a cauldron of noise in Frankfurt, where Postecoglou's side face a season-defining game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
After a 1-1 draw at home in the first leg, Postecoglou's promise of silverware in his second season is dwindling.
"It's more important than ever," Postecoglou said when asked about the team's identity.
"Ultimately, tomorrow night, it's a big game for us and a big game in the context of our season. We need something foundational to rely on and for us, that's our football.
"Those moments out there it's going to be pretty tough. I'm pretty confident in the belief that the boys have in the way we play will help us get through."
Spurs had the better of Frankfurt in terms of control and chances, but failed to take advantage of it.
Hugo Ekitike had also stunned the hosts in the sixth minute with a wonderful strike that showed why he has landed on the watchlists of several of Europe's elite clubs.
"I think for the most part we did most things right on the night," Postecoglou said. "They showed how good they are in transition and we obviously conceded that way. But apart from that, I thought we handled that really well.
"It would have been nice to get the win and a second goal, but if we can have a repeat of that performance tomorrow night, we have a chance."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/04/09/4117845-83494553-2560-1440.jpg)
Spurs in 'best place' since autumn after injury crisis, says Postecoglou
Video credit: TNT Sports
'WE CAN DO SOMETHING SPECIAL' - VAN DE VEN
Mickey van de Ven believes Spurs can fully go on and win the Europa League this season, reiterating the belief that Postecoglou talks about.
"We all have the belief. The way of football we can play and how many chances we can create with the team," the Dutchman said.
"It's really also a belief in us that we can win this trophy and do something special tomorrow.
"We had a really good first leg, we created a lot of chances. Unfortunately, we couldn't grab the win because of the way we played, how offensive we were. I think we deserved the win.
"But we want to take the strong points from the first game into the second leg and hopefully we can create as many chances as we did in the first leg and get the win."
The chief role of Van de Ven and the Spurs backline will be keeping Ekitike quiet after his sublime goal in the first match.
"Well, you saw in the first leg, I think he scored in the first chance of the game," he added. "He's a threat for them, strong with the ball and really technical. It's for me and my other centre-back to get him out of the game and make sure he can't touch the ball tomorrow and hopefully he won't get a big chance."
Watch and stream Premier League and UEFA Champions League football live on TNT Sports and discovery+
React to this story
Share this article
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement