Tottenham 1 - 1 Eintracht Frankfurt: Top Takeaways from a frustrating first leg | OneFootball

Today, Tottenham hosted German side Eintracht Frankfurt for the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal matchup, one which ended 1-1. As Tottenham's struggles continue, many fans are calling for manager Ange Postecoglou to be sacked. However, Tottenham's performance in this match may give many fans a reason to believe Postecoglou is the long term answer. In this article, we'll go over the key takeaways from this 1-1 draw.

1. "Angeball" is Working Again

Postecoglou has set up his teams the same way throughout his managerial career, and he has an unending devotion to the style of play fans have dubbed "Angeball". This tactic relies heavily on a high defensive line, a high press, and inverted fullbacks playing a huge role in the attack through underlapping runs. This tactic puts lots of pressure on enemy defenses, as extra attacking threats can operate in the half spaces between defenders.

This pressure was put on high display in the match today, starting with a goal from right back Pedro Porro in the 26th minute. Although no more goals were scored by Tottenham, they kept up the attacking force in the second half. Lucas Bergvall had an effort from outside the box which hit the crossbar in the 55th minute, and just one minute later, Son Heung-Min threaded a shot through three Frankfurt defenders, but Frankfurt keeper Kaua Santos was able to make an acrobatic save to see it behind.

Then, one minute after Son's attempt, Rodrigo Bentancur hit the crossbar with a headed effort from a corner kick. So although the lack of goals may make it seem like the Tottenham attack is failing to create, the Spurs side showed a creative edge today that should inspire fans with optimism for the future.

2. The Injury Issues are finally ending

Luckily, these injury issues are finally coming to a close for Tottenham. Spurs have not had their whole first team healthy the entire season, and have had at least 5 first teamers out injured every month from August all the way until February. Luckily, with Richarlison making his return to the side today, Tottenham are only missing 3 first team players, with 2 of those 3 scheduled to return later this month. This return of depth could be crucial to a run in the latter stages of the Europa League.

"The beauty of it is at the moment we have a squad ready to go," said Postecoglou in a press conference following the match. This reaction from Postecoglou makes sense, as he had to rely on academy players to fill his bench in some earlier matches in the Europa League. Having the whole first team fit and able to play can only mean good things for the end of Tottenham's season.