EUROPA DECIDER: FRANKFURT AND TOTTENHAM BATTLE FOR FINAL FOUR SPOT

← Back

 



Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur (aggregate score: 1-1) April 17, 2025

The Deutsche Bank Park will be the scene of a decisive European night as Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur battle for a place in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals following their 1-1 draw in London. With the tie perfectly balanced, both sides will be looking to overcome their respective historical hurdles to advance in the competition.

For the hosts, the prospect of reaching a third Europa League semi-final is tantalizing. Having previously made the final four in 2018-19 and 2021-22 (going on to win the trophy in the latter campaign), Frankfurt's pedigree in this competition is well-established. Only Sevilla, with five semi-final appearances, has a better record, while Manchester United currently sits level with Frankfurt on three ahead of their own quarter-final second leg against Lyon.

"This competition holds special memories for us," said Frankfurt's coach. "Our Europa League triumph in 2022 was a defining moment for this club, and we believe we can create more history this season."

The Eagles will be encouraged by their outstanding goal-scoring record at home in the Europa League, averaging over two goals per match throughout their history in the competition (55 scored in 27 home games). This attacking prowess has been on display again this season, spearheaded by in-form striker Hugo Ekitiké, who has been directly involved in seven goals (four goals, three assists) during the current campaign.

Ekitiké is looking to join an exclusive club of Frankfurt forwards who have excelled in the Europa League. Only two strikers have registered more goal involvements in a single campaign for the German side: Luka Jović (11) and Sébastien Haller (8), both during their memorable run to the semi-finals in 2018-19.

For Tottenham, the historical omens are less favorable. The North London club has lost six of their last seven knockout stage games away to German opponents in Europe, failing to score in four of their last five such matches. Their most recent trip to Germany for a knockout tie ended in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the 2019-20 Champions League last 16.

More concerning for Spurs is their record when failing to win the first leg at home. They have progressed from just one of their previous 10 knockout ties in European competition after not winning the first leg in London – though that sole success came in memorable fashion against Ajax in the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals, when they lost 0-1 at home before dramatically advancing on away goals after a 3-2 win in Amsterdam.

The head-to-head record between these sides is finely balanced. Eintracht Frankfurt has won just one of their five meetings with Tottenham in European competition, drawing two and losing two. However, that lone victory came on the only occasion they've hosted Spurs in a knockout stage match, winning 2-1 in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final in 1981-82.

Tottenham's defensive vulnerabilities on their European travels will be a concern for their manager. The Lilywhites have kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 away matches in the Europa League – a 1-0 victory against Qarabag back in November 2015.

The match could be historic for Spurs captain Son Heung-min, who stands to overtake Harry Kane (67) as Tottenham's all-time leading appearance maker in major European competition if he features on Thursday night, which would be his 68th appearance. Despite this milestone, Son has been struggling for his usual efficiency in front of goal in the Europa League this season, averaging a goal every 217 minutes – his worst ratio in any European campaign where he's made more than two appearances.

"We know the challenge ahead of us," said Tottenham's manager. "Frankfurt has a tremendous home record in this competition, but we've shown before that we can produce special European nights when the pressure is highest."

As both teams aim to continue their European journey, Thursday's clash in Frankfurt promises to be a tense and potentially historic occasion, with a place in the Europa League's final four at stake.

We thank OPTA for providing the statistical data. Photo: source XYZ


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DE BRUYNE'S FAREWELL TO ETIHAD FACES CHERRIES' ROAD INVINCIBILITY

Image
  May 20, 2025   Manchester City - AFC Bournemouth   Etihad Stadium, Manchester On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Manchester City will face AFC Bournemouth in the 37th round of the Premier League. The match offers a likely farewell of the home star Kevin De Bruyne to Etihad Stadium against a team with excellent away form. Manchester City have won all seven of their Premier League home games against Bournemouth – only Arsenal (10 vs Stoke) and Manchester United (8 vs Wigan) have a better 100% home win rate against an opponent in the competition. The Citizens thus represent an insurmountable obstacle for the Cherries at their own ground. Bournemouth won the reverse fixture against Man City 2-1 in November, having been winless in their first 20 league meetings with the Citizens beforehand (D2 L18). The South England side thus achieved a historic success this season. Manchester City have won their final home league game in 10 of the last 11 seasons (D1), including each of the la...
Read more

Marks Could Be the Next Irving: NFL Draft 2025 Late-Round Gems

Image
  Bucky Irving proved last year that the fourth round can hide future stars. His 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns made him the most productive rookie runner in the NFL. Now the search continues - which of this year's late picks will repeat similar success? The pattern is clear. Irving followed the path of Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City's seventh-round gem from 2022. Both had one thing in common - they weren't college superstars with astronomical numbers, but they proved efficiency and ability to maximize opportunities. Among this year's candidates, Marks from USC stands out most, selected by Houston in the fourth round. His transformation is remarkable - four years at Mississippi State never exceeded 600 yards per season, but a single season at USC brought 1,133 yards with impressive 6.8 yards per carry. Marks has an ideal situation for immediate impact. Joe Mixon ahead of him has injury history and Houston under new coordinator Nick Caley is looking for fresh b...
Read more

MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP 2025: PRESTIGIOUS LPGA TOURNAMENT IN MALAYSIA WITH MILLION-DOLLAR REWARDS AND STAR-STUDDED FIELD

Image
  October 30 – November 2, 2025 | Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia World Number One Thitikul Seeks First Victory After Two Second-Place Finishes Asia once again hosts one of the richest golf tournaments when the prestigious Maybank Championship takes place from October 30 to November 2, 2025. The third edition of this spectacular LPGA tournament will welcome the world's best players to the picturesque Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club with an incredible prize pool of $3 million ! TOURNAMENT WITH A SHORT BUT RICH HISTORY The Maybank Championship has quickly grown into one of the most significant tournaments on the LPGA Tour thanks to its combination of lucrative rewards, prestigious location, and quality field: EMERGING TRADITION Founded in 2023 when the LPGA Tour returned to Malaysia after a six-year hiatus . This was a significant event for Asian golf that signaled the LPGA's commitment to expanding its presence in a region where women's golf is...
Read more