A first-half penalty from Dominic Solanke proved enough as Tottenham Hotspur overcame Eintracht Frankfurt to reach the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night, April 17th. The 1-0 victory in Frankfurt secured Tottenham’s place in the last four after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Tottenham, who reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019, will contest their first European semi-final since 1984, excluding the Champions League run.
In a match lacking clear-cut chances, the defining moment came shortly before half-time. A VAR review overturned the referee’s initial decision and awarded Tottenham a penalty after Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos mistimed his challenge and fouled James Maddison. Solanke confidently dispatched the spot-kick down the middle, sending Santos the wrong way.
Maddison, who received treatment after the foul, was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski in first-half stoppage time. His absence affected Tottenham’s control in midfield, and the visitors had to withstand a sustained period of Frankfurt pressure at the start of the second half.
Frankfurt’s best chance came when Guglielmo Vicario produced a magnificent save with his legs to deny Fares Chaibi from close range. On loan Leeds player Rasmus Kristensen also squandered a good opportunity, dragging his shot wide. Tottenham threatened on the counter-attack and from set-pieces, with Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur both heading narrowly wide in the second half.
Despite Frankfurt’s pressure, Tottenham displayed a resilience that has often been missing this season, fighting and scrapping to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Tottenham’s reward for their determined performance is a semi-final clash with either Lazio or Bodo/Glimt.
For Tottenham, the victory offers a glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a disappointing season and keeps alive their hopes of securing a first trophy in 17 years.
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