Tottenham Hotspur catapulted themselves into the top eight of the Europa League standings after holding off Hoffenheim to win 3-2 away from home.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were floundering in ninth heading into Thursday’s fixture but are now poised to avoid the two-legged playoffs to reach the round of 16 after moving up into sixth.
Tottenham play their final game of the league-phase at home against Elfsborg on January 30, while holding a one-point advantage on the teams looking to progress automatically, with Postecoglou stating it is a “great position to be in” after the game.
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Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou hails his ‘outstanding’ Tottenham players in their Europa League win against Hoffenheim but reveals that Dominic Solanke will be out injured for ‘around six weeks’
“It gives us a great chance of getting one of those top-eight spots, which would give us a week off – that’s almost as good as getting through,” he told TNT Sport.
“It’s a great position for us to be in – we want to finish in the top-eight because it gives us the extra week of respite from the schedule we had.
“We’re probably going to need it around that time, so it’s a great incentive.”
James Maddison’s stunning effort in the third minute and Heung-Min Son’s deflected shot 20 minutes later gave Tottenham control of the fixture but it was a tale of two halves as Hoffenheim came forward in waves after the restart.
The pressure looked as if it would pay off after Brandon Austin was adjudged to have fouled Max Moerstedt in the penalty area, only for VAR to overturn the decision, but the breakthrough would arrive just seconds later.
Team news: Tottenham’s injury problems laid bare
The outfielders on Tottenham’s bench had an average age of just 18 and just one Premier League start between them.
Anton Stach poked the ball into the back of the net – with hopes of a comeback high – until it was quickly met by Son wrapping his second effort on the evening into the far corner.
However, in traditional Tottenham fashion, there was later-than-late drama.
David Mokwa Ntusu’s header moments after climbing off the bench teed up a tantalising finish in Germany with the hosts pushing Tottenham, who had replaced the experienced heads of Son and Maddison with teenagers Callum Olusesi and Will Lankshear, until the very end.
Tottenham held on by the finest of margins and now snap their run of three games without a win in Europe but their makeshift defence, which included Archie Gray at left-back, were made to work for it.
When is Tottenham’s last league phase fixture?
January 30: Tottenham vs Elfsborg, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, kick-off 8pm
Postecoglou: Winning in Europe isn’t easy – ask Man City!
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou speaking to TNT Sport:
“It’s not easy to get away wins in Europe – I watched the Champions League last night and there was only one away victory, so it’s tough.
Player ratings: Son sinks Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim: Baumann (6), Kaderabek (6), Bischof (7), Stach (8), Jurasek (7), Becker (6), Hlozek (6), Azpoguma (6), Kramaric (6), Moerstedt (7), Nsoki (6).
Subs used: Ntusu (8), Micheler (n/a), Chaves (n/a).
Tottenham: Austin (8), Porro (7), Dragusin (7). Davies (6), Gray (7), Bergvall (7), Bentancur (7), Maddison (9), Kulusevski (6), Richarlison (6); Son (9).
-Subs used: Moore (6), Lankshear (n/a), Olusesi (n/a).
Player of the match: Heung-Min Son.
“Credit to the boys. I thought it was an outstanding first half, played really well. We looked a bit tired in the second half but we hung on and Sonny scored that extra goal to give us that extra buffer.
“We had the schoolboys out there in the end and it was a great victory.”
Postecoglou looking to block out the ‘noise’
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou:
“I’ve been doing this for a long time now and what’s important is that you have a really strong belief in what you’re doing and not get influenced by noise. Not getting influenced by what the current mood is in terms of people’s assessment of where you’re at.
“For me, that’s always been the most important thing. I firmly believe in what we’re doing. I firmly believe that we’re on the right road. Whether others agree with that is irrelevant to me.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou wants to block out the ‘noise’ surrounding his side after beating Hoffenheim
“It doesn’t affect my decision-making or my interaction with the people at the club and particularly the players and staff.
“They’re my focus and they’re who I need to make sure that they have the belief. If they still have the belief then I know we can achieve success.
“It’s not easy to be fair because there’s a lot of noise. In the Premier League there’s the most noise so you have to deal with that but in the end it’s just noise.”
Who would Tottenham play currently?
Tottenham currently occupy sixth place and a win against Elfsborg in their final game will guarantee them a top-eight finish to go straight into the round of 16.
If Spurs were to remain in their current position, they would face the winners of the play-off match involving teams in 11th, 12th, 21st and 22nd.
The teams currently in those positions going into the final round of the league stage are Viktoria Plzen (11th), Olympiacos (12th), Roma (21st) and Ferencvaros (22nd).
Senior stars boost Spurs’ hopes of big break
Sky Sports’ Ali Stafford:
When you’ve got 14 players out injured and your star striker is facing a further six weeks on the sidelines, any opportunity to reduce your fixture schedule – in an already busy calendar – is always welcome.
Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s third goal
Back-to-back draws in the Europa League had increased the possibility of Tottenham slipping out of the top eight, which would leave a two-legged knockout-phase play-off, but that victory now puts automatic qualification to the last 16 firmly in their own hands.
Ange Postecoglou praised how his senior players ‘stood up’ to support an inexperienced team to a vital three points, with Heung-Min Son leading by example with a valuable brace after James Maddison opened the scoring.
The second-half fatigue was visible and twice offered hope to a Hoffenheim side that should have already been well beaten, but Tottenham nervously held on in the closing minutes to register just a third win in nine across all competitions.
Three points against Elfsborg next Thursday will guarantee that top-eight spot and save two extra matches in February, while the win gives Postecoglou’s threadbare squad confidence going into Sunday’s Premier League match against relegation-threatened Leicester City.
When is the Europa League knockout stage?
Knockout play-offs: February 13 and February 20, 2025
Round of 16: March 6 and March 13, 2025
Quarter-finals: April 10 and April 17, 2025
Semi-finals: May 1 and May 8, 2025
Final: May 21, 2025
