Solanke penalty sees Spurs through | OneFootball

Dominic Solanke’s first-half penalty helped keep Tottenham Hotspur’s season alive as they triumphed over Eintracht Frankfurt to secure a place in the Europa League semi-finals.

Spurs could only manage a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home last week, meaning they were going to face an uphill battle in Frankfurt. The pivotal moment came just before half-time, when Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos, linked with a move to Manchester United recently, misjudged his leap and collided with James Maddison while trying to claim a long ball.

Initially, referee Davide Massa waved away the protests for a penalty, but after a VAR review, he reversed his decision and booked Santos. Dominic Solanke coolly slotted the ball down the middle as Santos dived to the left just before the break.

Tottenham found it hard to keep hold of the ball as the game wnet on and spent the opening 15 minutes of the second half under sustained pressure from Frankfurt.

Though the hosts dominated possession, Spurs remained dangerous on the counter and from set-pieces. Cristian Romero narrowly missed the target with a header from a corner just after the hour mark, followed by Rodrigo Bentancur heading over from a similar situation.

As Frankfurt ramped up the pressure, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made a crucial save with his legs to deny Fares Chaibi from close range, while Leeds loanee Rasmus Kristensen wasted a golden opportunity, dragging a shot wide after receiving a cut-back.

Tottenham now await their semi-final opponents, with either Lazio or Bodo/Glimt set to be their next challenge.