Spurs finally get back to winning in Europe

Son Brace & Maddison Goal Seals Victory | Hoffenheim 2-3 Tottenham | UEFA Europa League Highlights

but it’s the same old story.

After three straight games without a victory, Spurs got back to their old ways in the Euopa League, with a struggle against struggling Hoffenheim, hanging on for a 3-2 away win, to massively increase their chances of automatic qualification.

After a loss and two draws, Spurs were hovering below the automatic qualification places for the knockout stage, luckily they got back to their old ways of the first two victories in the competition. Here comes Hoffenheim, struggling in their domestic league, just hovering above the relegation spots, and struggling in this competition with just one win and six points.

Those old ways of the first two games was winning while being outplayed. Being outshot. Being outcoached. That was the story in those first two games, which Spurs could quite easily have lost if the opposition could hit a cow’s arse. It was the same here as the Germans managed 22 attempts to Spurs’ 8.

It took some brilliant saves by the returning Brandon Austin to keep Spurs in a game they should have won far more easier than they did. As I said before you have to feel sorry for Austin, he finally gets a spot in the starting XI after years on the bench and loan, plays pretty well – certainly looking a vast improvement on Forster who had been chosen before him and would still have been first choice but not for illness – and Spurs immediately get Kinsky in. Kinsky plays brilliantly. Well Austin again looked the part here and he needed to.

And all this comes on the back of Spurs taking a very early lead and then going two up. First up, just three minutes in, Porro launched a ball over the top and Maddison was straight on it before lofting it over the keeper, into the roof of the net. A bit of a “fuck you Ange” from a player the Aussie has seemed to take against.

Spurs had chances to increase that lead but you know Richarlison, then Porro missed a poor attempt, that didn’t even hit the target. Twenty minutes in and Spurs got a bit of luck with Son’s finish. A quick breakout saw Maddison’s ball take a deflection but still fell to Son, who eventually got it under control and while not looking exactly like the Son of old but a lot more like it than the dithering Son of new, his left foot shot bounced up off the despairing defender’s leg and over the keeper.

After that the rest of the half saw Spurs manage two more attempts, while the hosts had 9 and Austin was called into action.

What followed in the second half was Spurs managing one whole shot, it was on target while Hoffenheim scored from just two of their 10 attempts.

It was coming everyone could see it. They could also see on the hour that it wasn’t a penalty. Well, everyone bar the ref, who gave the pen and was then looking to have the pen taken while ignoring the VAR who were for once getting things right in telling him to have another look. Something he decided to do almost at the same time the penalty taker was starting his run up for the spot kick.

But it was still coming and duly arrived a few minutes later. Cross from the Spurs left and it was a choice between which Hoffenheim player was gonna score. Ten minutes later came that one shot Spurs managed in the second 45. Another left footed shot by Son, a little cleaner this time to the far post. More like the Son of old. An assist from Mikey Moore, who had replaced Richarlison ten minutes after the break, Ange giving the Brazilian that extra time to see if he kept up being useless. Of course with Son doing something he was then taken off by Ange.

It should be game over but Spurs went back to hanging on. And Hoffenheim got another one, again a cross from one side and someone on the other side gets on the end of it. Austin again has no hope of saving it.

Ange brought of Maddison for another kid, 17 year old Callum Olusesi, which felt more like Thick Dundee making a point than any needful change. They hung on. A home game against Elfsborg and a win to secure a top 8 position and automatic qualification to the knockout stage but if they play like they have in this competition, bar one game, then that isn’t guaranteed, what with Elfsborg needing something as they hover above the bottom cut off point.

But the happy clappies were entertained… the pundits wanked themselves over Ange… and he’s gonna win every cup…

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