Preview: Return to north London | OneFootball

Eintracht face Tottenham Hotspur away in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final, with both teams having reached this stage after beating Dutch clubs.

How things stand

Approximately two and a half years after meeting Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League in October 2022, the Eagles are returning to north London. This time, a place in the Europa League semi-finals is at stake, so Eintracht are hoping to lay the foundations for a last-four berth with a positive result in the first leg in the English capital.

“That’s what we’re determined to achieve,” said head coach Dino Toppmöller ahead of the tie on Thursday 10 April (kick-off 21:00 CET).

“We’re really up for the game, we don’t need any extra motivation,” said Nathaniel Brown after Eintracht’s 2-0 defeat at Werder Bremen at the weekend. “It’ll be unbelievable to play there, it’s not something that happens every week.”

Coach Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side warmed up for the tie with a 3-1 home win over Southampton at the weekend, a result that leaves them 14th in the Premier League standings.

Route to the quarter-finals

Eintracht reached the last eight thanks to two good performances against AFC Ajax in the round of 16. A 2-1 success in the first leg in Amsterdam was followed by a 4-1 triumph in the return fixture in Frankfurt.

Tottenham likewise faced an Eredivisie side in the previous round. AZ Alkmaar won the first leg at home 1-0 but Spurs fought back in the second leg with a 3-1 victory.

Looking back

Tottenham and Eintracht have so far faced each other four times in European competition. Spurs, winners of the UEFA Cup in 1971/72 and 1983/84, may hold a slight historical advantage with two wins and a draw, but the Eagles have proved themselves to be more than a match.

That stalemate arrived in the form of a 0-0 draw in Frankfurt in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage. The London-based club earned a narrow 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in England, but Eintracht’s bold display kept the match on a knife edge until the very end.

The Ekitiké effect

Hugo Ekitiké has developed into a key component of Eintracht’s attack this season with 13 Bundesliga goals, as well as a further three (plus three assists) in 10 Europa League outings. Among others, the Frenchman shone in the last-16 second leg against Ajax by scoring one and setting up another.

Incidentally, all of Ekitiké’s direct goal involvements in Europe this season have come at Deutsche Bank Park; he has yet to score or assist in five away appearances. High time for that to change on Thursday!