Tottenham Hotspur looked set to follow up their dramatic 4-0 win over Manchester City with a resilient Europa League win over AS Roma. First-half goals from Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson gave Spurs the lead, reacting effectively to Evan N’Dicka’s equalizer.
However, an air of dominance proved elusive against Claudio Ranieri’s side, as Tottenham missed golden chances to secure victory, hitting the woodwork three times and squandering numerous chances in the second half.
Fraser Forster made an outstanding save to deny Gianluca Mancini scoring, but desperation struck for Spurs when Mats Hummels found the net in injury time, leveling the match at 2-2.
The draw leaves Tottenham in ninth place in the Europa League group, meaning they are currently on course to miss out on automatic progression to the knockout stages. Nonetheless, coach Ange Postecoglou remains determined to maintain an entertaining style of play in their final three group matches.
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Asked if he would sacrifice flamboyant play to get results and secure a place in the top eight, Postecoglou smiled and replied: “No. Why couldn’t it just be Nice to watch? N Isn’t that why we all come together? Would you really prefer a few 0-0 draws and a 1-0 win to go through? Not for me. means sometimes we miss the rewards, like tonight. If it’s those hard-fought matches you want, you can find them in world Football every weekend. I want people to be entertained when they watch us.
“With three matches remaining, we are in a decent position. We are looking to win each match and see where that takes us. Things will probably become clearer after the next round; it is close, as expected.”
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Up next for Tottenham: a clash against Rangers, who sit just above them in the standings after a convincing 4-1 win at Nice.
The match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could have had the same score, especially in a first half where a fifth-minute penalty from Son, after a foul by Hummels on Pape Sarr, could only be matched by N’Dicka header following a free kick from Paulo Dybala.
Brennan Johnson’s ninth goal of the season in the 33rd minute, from a well-placed cross from Dejan Kulusevski, looked to give Spurs the lead, especially when Roma had two efforts ruled out for offside early in the second half— thanks to Manu Kone and Artem Dovbyk—before Angelino hit the crossbar with a powerful volley.
Despite a shaky second half, Tottenham could have sealed the match. Pedro Porro hit the crossbar again, and Dominic Solanke’s header also met the woodwork from an Archie Gray cross, setting up a tense conclusion. Forster’s exceptional save against Mancini, unfortunately, didn’t count for much, as Hummels equalized on another serve from Angelino.
Postecoglou lamented the missed chances, saying: “We should have finished it a lot sooner. At 2-1 you keep the opposition alive as they push forward, so it’s disappointing not to finish the game .However, we are in a decent position.”
On the other hand, Ranieri was delighted with his team’s performance, securing a vital point in his third spell as Roma manager, reflecting: “I am very happy with our performance. Every player gave their maximum. I’m proud for our supporters who saw a team with desire and pride. We had three goals canceled and scored at the end. It’s the type of performance I like.
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