SPURS EGDE NERVY THRILLER TO NEAR TOP-EIGHT FINISH
Tottenham Hotpur were made to sweat for their 3-2 victory at Hoffenheim, as an important Son Heung-min brace launched Ange Postecoglou’s side into the UEFA Europa League top eight.
It was a blistering start from the Premier League strugglers, as James Maddison opened the scoring with a neat take from a long ball and emphatic finish inside three minutes.
And the midfielder was again at the centre of the action as he teed up Son midway through the first half, with the Spurs captain seeing a deflected strike drop over the head of Oliver Baumann for a two-goal cushion.
Hoffenheim seemed to find their feet ahead of the half-time break, and carried that momentum after the interval, seeing wave upon wave of pressure come to no avail – not helped by the woodwork denying Andrej Kramaric’s header.
The hosts’ pressure looked to have finally told when they won a penalty for Brandon Austin’s challenge on Max Moerstedt midway through the second half, but referee Morten Krogh revoked his decision following a lengthy VAR check.
-Hoffenheim eventually found the target though, Anton Stach capping off a neat move to halve Spurs’ advantage.
But the game swung yet again nine minutes later, with Son notching his double in clinical style to give the visitors breathing room yet again.
Substitute David Mokwa pounced on some poor Spurs defending to force a nervy finish, but there was to be no dramatic equaliser for the hosts – whose hopes of remaining in the competition now look slim.
Spurs provisionally moved up to fourth ahead of the later kick-offs, and victory over Elfsborg at home next week would secure a top-eight finish.
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