Home Sports Hoffenheim 2-3 Tottenham: Son Heung-min strikes twice as Spurs cling on to boost Europa League automatic qualifying hopes

Hoffenheim 2-3 Tottenham: Son Heung-min strikes twice as Spurs cling on to boost Europa League automatic qualifying hopes

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Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham earned a narrow 3-2 victory in the Europa League.
  • Son scored a goal in each half to earn a crucial away victory in the Europa League.
  • The result eases growing pressure on Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou
  • LISTEN NOW: It’s all starting! Ruben Amorim seems desperate… it is the last resort to publicly denounce your players

Ange Postecoglou blew her cheeks as she removed her gloves with a visible air of relief as her exhausted team staggered across the victory line.

On the field, players dressed in lilywhite collapsed on the grass and stretched their tired muscles. Completely exhausted and nerve-racking. They finished the game with five teenagers on the field and lived dangerously against a very ordinary Hoffenheim.

And yet, they won and that seemed to be the only thing that mattered under the circumstances. It’s a victory that could prove restorative in the coming weeks if it gives them time off.

If the Spurs arrived in terrible shape, Hoffenheim was no better. The two teams came into the game with the same miserable record of three wins in 15 games. Both are ranked 15th in their domestic leagues.

“A shitty season,” as former Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric recently put it. Tottenham could say the same, although cup football offers hope and especially this one with the prize of a place in the Champions League for the winners.

If the Spurs want to salvage their season, they could really use a top-eight finish and get out of the playoff round during a time when some of their injured players are expected to return.

Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham earned a narrow 3-2 victory in the Europa League.

The captain proved clinical in helping a depleted Tottenham side boost their qualification hopes.

The captain proved clinical in helping a depleted Tottenham side boost their qualification hopes.

Ange Postecoglou's team faltered but the result could be key for the season

Ange Postecoglou’s team faltered but the result could be key for the season

And they got off to a good start with Maddison’s third-minute goal calming anxiety as they opened up their hosts with a direct and simple move. Ben Davies won a long shot in the air from the Hoffenheim goalkeeper, Rodrigo Bentancur passed it to Pedro Porro, who spotted the runner from midfield with a good pass.

Maddison quickly controlled it and hit a clean finish for his ninth goal of the season.

There were enough opportunities to win the match in the first 20 minutes, but Porro and Son failed to take advantage of the best ones. The locals got into the game and wanted a penalty for handball against Bentancur before conceding the second.

Maddison took advantage of Kevin Akpoguma’s hesitation, came out of defense and marked Son, whose shot brushed recovering defender Pavel Kaderabek and went over goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

For all their threat in attack and especially on the counter-attack, Spurs were still loose and vulnerable at the back and needed three crucial saves from Brandon Austin before the interval. Two shots from Max Moerstadt and the best of the trio, low to his right to deny Tom Bischof.

Radu Dragusin made an important defensive block to prevent an attempt from Finland’s Ole Becker during this period of pressure and yet Spurs went close to a third when Baumann crossed his line to prevent a Lucas Bergvall header.

Spurs started the second half poorly, trapped inside their own defensive third and living dangerously as Hoffenheim sought new purpose, committing more players forward and creating opportunities.

Kramaric planted a header against the bar when unmarked, Anton Stach’s shot went narrowly wide and there was a VAR reprieve after a harsh penalty was awarded to Austin.

James Maddison opened the scoring in the third minute to give Spurs a perfect start.

James Maddison opened the scoring in the third minute to give Spurs a perfect start.

Tottenham got a scare in the second half when the VAR annulled a penalty for the hosts.

Tottenham got a scare in the second half when the VAR annulled a penalty for the hosts.

Anton Stach scored a goal to unleash the potential for a late Hoffenheim comeback

Anton Stach scored a goal to unleash the potential for a late Hoffenheim comeback

Son restored Tottenham's two-goal lead with a fine finish into the bottom corner

Son restored Tottenham’s two-goal lead with a fine finish into the bottom corner

Hoffenheim's David Mokwa scored a goal in the 88th minute, but Tottenham held on

Hoffenheim’s David Mokwa scored a goal in the 88th minute, but Tottenham held on

MATCH DATA AND CLASSIFICATIONS

Hoffenheim (4-4-2): Baumann 6; Kaderabek 6.5, Akpoguma 5, Nsoki 5.5, Jurasek 5; Hlozek 6 (Micheler 81), Stach 7 (Mokwa 79), Becker 6, Bischoff 6 (Chaves 80); Kramaric 6, Moerstedt 6.5.

Substitutes: L.Philipp, T.Philipp, Hranac, Gendrey, Kalambayi, Behrens, Erlein, Duric.

Goals: Tobacconist 68, Mokwa 88

Reservations: akpoguma

Manager: Christian Ilzer 6

Spurs (4-3-3): Austin 7; Joint 6.5, Dragusin 6.5, Davies 7.5, Gray 6; Bergvall 6.5, Bentancur 8, Maddison 7 (Olusesi 89); Kulusevski 7.5, Richarlison 6 (Moore 56, 6), Son 7.5 (Lankshear 79).

Substitutes: Forster, Whiteman, Cassanova, Ajayi, Hardy.

Goals: Maddison 3, Son 22, 77

Reservations: None

Manager: Ange Postecoglou 7

Referee: Morten Krogh (DEN) 6.5

Attention: 30,150

The goalkeeper had launched a cross high over his own goal when it collided with striker Moerstadt, but referee Morten Krogh pointed to the spot and Kramaric was at the top of his game about to take the shot when the late intervention came.

Hoffenheim scored a goal soon after, hitting Spurs on the break with a goal from Stach only to hand the initiative back to Tottenham with a poor back pass cut out by Bentancur.

His pass to Mikey Moore was fed to Son, who produced a precision finish, with a low arrow towards the far corner.

There was another scare when Hoffenheim substitute David Mokwa scored with a header in the 88th minute. But the visitors held on.

Europa League FinalJames Maddison

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