Tottenham survive Frankfurt's challenge, keep Europa League hopes alive
Tottenham Hotspur breathed a sigh of relief after securing a crucial 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarterfinal first leg.
The victory keeps alive Spurs' chances of reaching the final in Bilbao and potentially salvaging Ange Postecoglou's job as manager.
Dominic Solanke broke his goal drought since January, converting a penalty in the first half after a nasty collision between Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos and James Maddison.
Despite missing key player Son Heung-min due to injury, Spurs controlled the game and saw out the win.
The result ends Frankfurt's hopes of lifting the Europa League title for a second time, having won it three years ago in Seville.
However, the German side can take heart from their league form, sitting third and on track for their best finish since the mid-1990s.
Postecoglou's job has been under scrutiny this season, with Spurs struggling in the Premier League.
The win will provide some respite, but the Australian manager still faces an uphill task to fulfill his promise of winning a title in his second season.
Frankfurt's attack was focused on Hugo Ekitike, but the French striker was denied a golden chance by Spurs' van de Ven.
The hosts struggled to adjust after losing midfield veteran Mario Goetze to injury, and Santos' penalty faux pas ultimately cost them the game.
With Maddison subbed off after the penalty incident, Spurs will be monitoring his condition ahead of the second leg.
Despite the win, Spurs will be wary of Frankfurt's attacking threat and will need to be at their best to progress to the next round.
