10:25PM I thought we were really in control. We’re our own worst enemies at times – we let them back into the game and it got a bit nervy towards the end but I thought we deserved to progress.
[What impressed you the most?] Just our composure, particularly at the beginning of the game. When you’re 1-0 down from the first leg there’s always that propensity to rush things or panic but I never got that sense. I’m really pleased for the boys.
We’ve got a big game Sunday so we have to prepare for that. My kids had their school concert tonight so I wanna get some feedback on that – they’re doing a Beatles song so I wanna know how that went!
10:06PM Chelsea will be pleased their London rivals have won tonight. Spurs’ success means Chelsea will play their Europa Conference League quarter-final first-leg game away from home, with Spurs entertaining their Europa League last eight opponents in the first leg. Had Tottenham been eliminated, then Chelsea would have played at home first.
10:05PM When we went to applaud the away fans after the first leg I was trying to send a message: ‘Stay calm. Listen, we know we weren’t good enough but they’ve still got to come to our place.’
We haven’t achieved anything yet. We’re in the quarter-final, and we kick off and we look forward to it.
Over the last few months when we spoke about having injuries, tonight is a perfect example. You’re stood in the tunnel and you look at the team, and it’s a group of men: Micky’s back, Romero back, Vic’s back, I’m there, Sonny. We’ve got men there, you know. With young lads as well, but when you have the spine of people who are experienced, it makes a big difference.
It was a solid performance and I think we’re deservedly through. We haven’t achieved anything yet but we’re into the quarter-finals and we’re excited.
I thought Wilson Odobert was absolutely outstanding.
9:54PM That’s it! Spurs will play Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals after a stirring win over AZ Alkmaar. Wilson Odobert scored once in each half, with James Maddison getting a goal inbetween, and overall Spurs were deserved winners.
9:53PM Spurs are almost there. They had a very nervous spell at 2-1 but since Odobert’s goal they’ve managed the game pretty well.
9:50PM Poku’s deep cross is volleyed tamely into the side netting by Smit. It was an awkward chance but he didn’t attack the ball with any conviction.
Four minutes of added time.
9:48PM Excellent goalkeeping from Vicario, who comes a long way off his line to claim a cross from Penetra and calm everything down.
9:46PM AZ substitution Kristijan Belic comes on for Wouter Goes. It’s now or never for AZ.
9:44PM Spurs substitution Ben Davies replaces the excellent Lucas Bergvall.
9:42PM Another chance for AZ! A cross from the right is heading over from six yards by Meerdink, who leapt as high as possible but couldn’t get over the ball. Parrott was waiting behind him and would have had a much clearer chance, though he may have been offside.
9:40PM AZ substitution Mexx Meerdink on, Seiya Maikuma off.
9:39PM Chance for AZ! Parrott’s shot is pushed away by Vicario, falling to his right, and Bissouma boots the follow-up shot behind for a corner.
9:37PM Double substitution for Spurs Brennan Johnson and Yves Bissouma come on for the goalscorers James Maddison and Wilson Odobert.
9:34PM 74 min: Spurs 3 AZ 1 (agg: 3-2; Odobert) Wilson Odobert’s second goal has put Spurs back in front! It stemmed from a slick move down the left involving Maddison, Son and finally Spence, whose cross was flicked on by Solanke and turned in at the far post by Odobert. At first he looked offside but replays show he was being played on by a defender at the near post.
9:30PM It’s really tense now, with many Spurs fans audibly fearing the worst. The Koopmeiners goal has changed the mood completely.
9:28PM AZ substitution Kees Smit comes on for Zico Buurmeester. He has a half chance within seconds, having a shot blocked after more jittery defending from Spurs.
9:27PM Maddison whips a decent effort over the bar from the left edge of the area.
9:24PM 63 min: Spurs 2 AZ 1 (agg: 2-2; Koopmeiners) It’s all square! A mistake from Spurs has been ruthlessly punished by AZ. Bergvall and Odobert got in a tangle just outside the area, allowing Peer Koopmeiners to run through and smash the ball past Vicario.
9:20PM Spurs substitution Archie Gray comes on for Micky van de Ven. He doesn’t look injured but Spurs are managing his minutes very carefully.
9:17PM AZ work a short corner neatly on the right, eventually pushing the ball infield for Clasie, unmarked in the D, to shoot this far wide of the far post. Lovely effort.
9:17PM Great defending by Van de Ven! Poku went on a blistering run, straight at the heart of the defence, but Van de Ven went through the gears and made a very important tackle in the penalty area.
9:12PM 5 – Tottenham Hotspur are the first side in major European competition history to have five players under the age of 21 score a goal in the same season (Lankshear, Ajayi, Moore, Scarlett & Odobert). Opportunities. pic.twitter.com/LyqwQ7lhtD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 13, 2025
9:12PM Son plays a one-two with Sarr in the area, only to overrun the ball and give AZ a goalkick. The second half has been really open.
9:10PM A cross from the right finds its way to Parrott, who is slightly off balance and eventually forces a shot that is blocked. That was half a chance.
9:08PM 48 min: Spurs 2 AZ 0 (agg: 2-1; Maddison) James Maddison puts Spurs ahead on aggregate with a fine goal! Pedro Porro won the ball near the halfway line and Spurs were away on the break. Odobert found Maddison, who exchanged passes with Son before sidefooting coolly past Owusu-Odoro from 15 yards.
9:07PM Vicario receives a backpass, tries to turn away from Parrott and almost makes a horrible mess of the whole thing. In the end he has just enough time to boot the ball out for a throw-in.
9:05PM AZ get the second half under way having made a half-time substitution: Mees de Wit is on for Ibrahim Sadiq.
8:52PM Wilson Odobert’s first goal for Spurs has brought them level on aggregate against AZ Alkmaar. They were the better team without creating many clear chances; in fact Odobert’s goal was one of only two shots on target at either end.
8:50PM Odobert is fouled just outside the area. Maddison and Pedro Porro have a minor row over who should take it, with Maddison eventually winning out. His free-kick hits the wall and deflects behind for a corner.
8:46PM A poor pass out of defence from Romero is knocked back towrds Buurmeester, who drags a shot wide from the edge of the D. That might be AZ’s first attempt at goal.
8:43PM Spurs continue to push for a second. Son has another shot blocked, with Odobert slicing the rebound over the bar on the volley.
8:39PM Son leads a Spurs break, running half the length of the field before his shot is blocked by a stretching defender. Bergvall collects the loose ball, 20 yards out, and curls over the bar.
8:36PM Son zips infield from the left, uses Solanke by not using him and curls a low shot from 25 yards. It’s not in the corner and Owusu-Oduro gets down to his left to make a comfortable save.
8:33PM Another good press, this time from Spence, almost leads to a chance. His pass towards Solanke is cut out just inside the area.
8:29PM 26 min: Spurs 1 AZ 0 (agg: 1-1; Odobert) Spurs are level on aggregate! Son pressed Goes, whose clearance hit Son and ricocheted infield to Solanke. He calmly squared the ball to Odobert, who swept an emphatic first-time finish past Owusu-Oduro from 12 yards. It’s his first goal for Spurs.
8:27PM Poku runs at Romero down the AZ left and is fouled. Koopmeiners’ free-kick is headed behind by Sarr, although the referee gives a goalkick.
8:25PM Son’s big, inswinging cross is punched away decisively by Owusu-Oduro. AZ are doing pretty well defensively and have restricted Spurs to… not much.
8:20PM Son scoots down the left to win Spurs’ first corner. He takes it himself but it’s not a great delivery and, though Bergvall seems to win another corner, the referee wrongly gives a goalkick.
8:17PM Spurs have had around 70 per cent possession so far. In truth it feels even more dominant than that – most of the game has been played in the AZ half, even if Spurs are yet to work the keeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.
8:15PM Micky van de Ven knows all about Alkmaar. Speaking to the Tottenham website, van de Ven was asked where his favourite restaurant is. The Dutchman said: “I’ll probably say a restaurant in Alkmaar close to my dad’s house called De Koning, which means The King. The steak there is really good!”
8:12PM Maddison plays a nice one-two on the left and curls a dangerous inswinging cross that is cut out well at the far post by Penetra. That was Spurs’ first really threatening attack.
8:08PM Nothing much to report. Spurs are having all of the ball but so far AZ have kept them at arm’s length.
8:05PM Plenty of early possession in the middle third for Spurs. The atmosphere is terrific.
8:02PM And they’re off. James Maddison gets things going, with Spurs kicking from right to left as we watch.
7:56PM The atmosphere is building inside the stadium. They are now showing highlights of Tottenham’s previous European exploits from the 1960s onwards on the big screen including that dramatic night in Amsterdam when they reached the Champions League Final in 2019. This may be only a last-16 Europa League tie but make no mistake how much it means. This is Spurs’ season over if they fail to win.
7:51PM Tottenham will not have it easy in the quarter-final if they beat AZ Alkmaar tonight. The winner of tonight’s tie will face Eintracht Frankfurt, who are fourth in the Bundesliga and knocked out Ajax in the last 16. Frankfurt won the second leg 4-1 with Mario Gotze (remember him?) scoring twice.
7:41PM It feels like a huge game for Ange Postecoglou. The pre-match talk is whether the obituaries over his time as Tottenham Hotspur head coach will have to be written tomorrow should they get knocked out of the Europa League – ending their hopes of a trophy, Champions League qualification and, effectively, their season.
Postecoglou’s agents Frank Trimboli and Leon Angel are in attendance but that is not unusual. Their agency CAA Base has a box at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium… conveniently located behind the press box.
7:27PM Eintracht Frankfurt are now 4-1 ahead against Ajax, 6-2 on aggregate, so it’s fair to assume tonight’s winners will meet them in the quarter-final.
7:23PM
6:56PM AZ make one change from last week’s first leg: Ibrahim Saqid replaces the injured Mayckel Lahdo in attack.
💥 𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝑫𝑶 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔!🔁 Wissels: Verhulst, Zoet, Martins Indi, Belić, Dekker, Smit, De Wit, Meerdink, Bouziane, Dijkstra en Van Duijn.
📲 Volg de hele wedstrijd in ons liveblog: https://t.co/p8k3RAjzE2#AZAlkmaar #totaz #UEL #TheFutureIsOurs pic.twitter.com/kqxAMDjvLa
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) March 13, 2025
6:52PM Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both start in defence for Spurs, while Wilson Odobert is preferred to Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson in attack.
6:35PM Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live, minute-by-minute coverage of Tottenham Hotspur v AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. It’s Spurs’ biggest game of the season – and potentially of Ange Postecoglou’s time as manager. Win and they will keep alive their chance of winning a trophy in Postecoglou’s second year. Lose and – just like that – their season will be over.
Spurs need to overcome a 1-0 deficit after a meek performance in the first leg in Alkmaar. They followed that with a slightly fortuitous 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, though there was some good news in the return from injury of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
“You want your big, experienced players to perform in these games, for sure,” said Postecoglou. “We have relied a lot on our younger players who have progressed really well. But on a night like this, having Romero, Maddison, Vicario and Sonny out there, the whole leadership group, will definitely be beneficial.”
AZ are intrepid and dangerous opponents. They beat Roma and Fenerbahce in the league stage and hammered Galatasaray in the previous round. One of AZ’s dangermen is former Spurs striker Troy Parrott, who joined them in the summer after an eye-catching loan spell at Excelsior last season. This is their second visit to north London this season: they were beaten 1-0 by Spurs in the league stage in October.
A similar score tonight would take the tea to extra-time, then maybe penalties. It could be a long night.
Kick off is at 8pm. The winners will almost certainly Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final; they lead Ajax 2-0 on the night, 4-1 on aggregate
