A brace by Wilson Odobert fired Tottenham into the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win over AZ Alkmaar to keep their season alive.
The pressure was on Spurs and Ange Postecoglou after a 1-0 loss in the last-16 first leg, but the Australian’s big call to start Odobert paid off with the 20-year-old French attacker netting in each half for his first goals for the club.
Tottenham vice-captain James Maddison, on the day before Thomas Tuchel names his first England squad, also struck at the start of the second half in a fine display to lift the gloom in N17.
Defeat would have all but ended Spurs’ campaign with nine weeks of the season still to go after a difficult winter period where they were hampered by injuries, but this 3-1 success sets up a last-eight tie with Eintracht Frankfurt next month.
A lacklustre display in Alkmaar last Thursday meant Spurs faced an uphill battle, but Postecoglou was able to start key duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero together for the first time since December 8.
Romero produced an error-strewn display on his comeback against Bournemouth on Sunday but needed only 17 minutes to make his mark here.
Seconds after Romero had slid in to win the ball from David Moller Wolfe, he screamed in the face of former team-mate Troy Parrott after the AZ forward went down.
Tottenham had dominated possession without being able to create a clear-cut chance by this point, but with an expectant home crowd still behind the team, they broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.
It was a gift from AZ as Son Heung-min blocked Wouter Goes’ attempted clearance and the ball rolled perfectly for Dominic Solanke, who calmly teed up Odobert to curl home from 12 yards.
Postecoglou let out a small clenched fist celebration, but the hosts still had work to do and Son and Lucas Bergvall unsuccessfully tried their luck before Odobert sliced over.
A lapse of concentration from Romero with a slack pass invited pressure before the break, but Zico Buurmeester fired wide and it remained finely-poised at half-time.
Stepping up 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wEMA1ZfhXy
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 13, 2025
The second period was only 149 seconds old when Tottenham made it 2-0 to go ahead in the tie for the first time.
Moments after Guglielmo Vicario was almost closed down by Peer Koopmeiners, Pedro Porro won back possession inside the AZ half and after Maddison exchanged passes with Son, the England hopeful curled into the corner for his 11th goal of the season.
Maddison’s trademark dart celebration followed and it could have been 3-0 but Son ran out of play with Solanke unmarked across goal.
AZ captain Jordy Clasie curled inches wide after a neat short corner routine in a reminder of the visitors threat before Van de Ven walked off in the 61st minute with what appeared a pre-planned substitution.
20-year-old Wilson Odobert ⚽️⚪️#UEL pic.twitter.com/W6a0thTtGN
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 13, 2025
Two minutes later and AZ pulled a goal back to make it 2-2 on aggregate after a mix-up at the back by Tottenham.
Odobert intercepted a loose ball but Bergvall inadvertently passed into his team-mate and it allowed Koopmeiners to race into the area where he rifled into the bottom corner.
The Spurs fans responded positively and Maddison curled over to signal a strong response before the vice-captain played his part in a decisive third goal with 16 minutes left.
Tottenham played out from the back brilliantly, but Maddison’s spin away from his marker opened up the pitch and after Djed Spence was played in down the left, his cross was flicked on by Solanke for Odobert to tap in at the back post.
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