Tottenham Frustrated by Frankfurt Keeper Santos in Europa League Quarter-Final Draw
Tottenham Hotspur were left to rue missed chances and the brilliance of goalkeeper Kaua Santos as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou’s side dominated much of the contest but were repeatedly denied by Frankfurt’s Brazilian goalkeeper, who delivered a stunning performance to frustrate the home crowd.
Frankfurt took an early lead through Hugo Ekitike, who punished a defensive lapse to fire a low shot past Guglielmo Vicario just six minutes into the match. But Spurs responded strongly and equalised through Pedro Porro, who finished off a well-worked move with an audacious backheel flick — his first European goal for the club.
Tottenham pushed forward with intensity after the break and were unlucky not to grab a winner. Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur both struck the crossbar in quick succession, while Son Heung-min and James Maddison were denied by excellent saves from Santos.
Deep into stoppage time, Micky van de Ven’s bouncing header looked destined for the net, but Santos once again came to Frankfurt’s rescue with a fingertip stop that summed up his night.
With Spurs sitting 14th in the Premier League and already out of the FA and Carabao Cups, the Europa League remains their only hope of silverware this season. Postecoglou, who has built a reputation for winning trophies in his second season at clubs, knows the return leg in Germany on 17 April is crucial.
Tottenham’s performance, especially in the second half, showed attacking flair and urgency — but their failure to find a winning goal could prove costly against a disciplined Frankfurt side and a red-hot Santos between the posts.
The second leg at the 58,000-capacity Waldstadion promises to be a tough test for Spurs, who must find a clinical edge if they are to keep their European dreams alive.
