Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1 Tottenham (agg 1-2): VAR to the rescue as Dominic Solanke penalty edges Spurs into Europa League semi-finals

Perhaps not a night to live alongside Amsterdam, but here was a victory on foreign soil for Tottenham to cherish, a triumph of all those things nobody ever associates with the club.

Ange Postecoglou’s team were resilient. They were mature. They defended like lions and emerged with a clean sheet. There was not a trace of Ange Ball on display.

Postecoglou tinkered from the touch line, tweaking the shape at half time to protect his defence, using his substitutes intelligently and again to withstand late pressure from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dominic Solanke scored the only goal, a first half penalty to put Spurs ahead in the quarter-final tie, awarded after a VAR intervention when Eintracht keeper Kaua Santos poleaxed James Maddison.

Solanke held his nerve to score his first goal for 103 days and, after all they have endured through a desperate winter, Spurs are going into the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time since that Champions League tie against Ajax, won in such dramatic fashion in 2019.

The celebrations were euphoric and Postecoglou bristled with pride, hugging his players and staff, no doubt feeling vindicated that with his best players fit again after a devastating midwinter injury crisis his team could be a match for anyone.

It was Solanke’s first goal for 103 days and keeps Tottenham’s season very much alive

Things are looking up for Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou as a VAR call finally goes his way

Tottenham had come as close as can be to silencing the Deutsche Bank Park.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s passionate fans whipped up a terrific pre-match atmosphere and unfurling an elaborate tifo display at one end to greet the teams.

“The Eagles are on the prowl” was the message across the stand, with a huge banner featuring an image of eagles carrying all the trophies won by the club and surrounding the Europa League.

They were winners in 2022, beating West Ham on the way and Rangers in the final on penalties and they hoped the hostile atmosphere would give their team an edge on the pitch.

Eintracht, content to play on the counterattack in the first leg, drawn 1-1 in London last week, came out with more purpose and adventure but Spurs absorbed the early pressure.

Guglielmo Vicario stooped to gather a couple of long-range shots, fizzed across a slick surface. They were straight at him although, after his nervous opening to the 4-2 defeat at Wolverhampton on Sunday, the goalkeeper would have been relieved to collect them safely.

Postecoglou made five changes to the team beaten at Molineux, bringing back those he rested apart from captain Heung-min Son, still ruled out with an injured foot.

Micky van de Ven was in central defence alongside Cristian Romero and a blast of acceleration from Tottenham’s flying Dutchman was required to thwart Hugo Ekitike as he raced clear onto a long ball.

Tottenham were given when Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santo smashed into James Maddison

After a VAR check, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak points to the spot much to Spurs’ glee

Frankfurt’s Rasmus Kristensen bemoans missing a late chance to send the tie to extra time

Van de Ven gave the France Under-21 international a few yards’ start and then recovered in the nick of time, sliding into Vicario as he cleared up the danger.

Eintracht lost veteran playmaker Mario Gotze in the first half. Gotze limped off with what seemed to be a hamstring problem and his replacement Fares Chaibi soon tested Vicario with a header.

Mathys Tel recorded the first two efforts of the night for Spurs, either side of the Chaibi header. First, a miscued shot dragged wide from a low cross by Brennan Johnson.

Then a sweet strike with his right foot, drifting in from the left and forcing goalkeepers Kaua Santos into a flying save. Santos had been the hero of the first leg for the Germans but his misjudgement led to the penalty from which Spurs took the lead.

Maddison was first to a long pass forward by Romero, bursting out of midfield and heading the ball before he was flattened by the onrushing goalkeeper.

Despite the weight of the heavy collision, Italian referee Davide Massa needed help from his VAR who sent him to the monitor.

Massa pointed to the spot on his return to the middle, showed Santos a yellow card and Solanke stepped forward to take the penalty and scored for the first time in 12 games.

Maddison tried to continue but went off before the interval, replaced by Dejan Kulusevski.

Pedro Porro shows just how much victory means to Tottenham after a tough season

Eintracht Frankfurt passionate fans provided a hostile atmosphere in the Deutsche Bank Park

Tottenham’s concentration and discipline were tested in the second half. They were forced back and took few risks with the onus on Eintracht to make the running.

Postecoglou reshaped midfield trio to sit Lucas Bergvall alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and shield the back four and they broke sparingly. As the clock ticked down he sent on Pape Matar Sarr to patrol midfield and bolstered the defence with a third central defender, Kevin Danso.

Chaibi went close with a free kick, curled wide but Vicario was well protected by those ahead of him and Spurs eked out chances to extend their lead.

Romero and Bentancur both headed wide from corners and Tel fizzed another shot wide.

Vicario made a splendid save from Chaibi before Kristensen squandered the best of the chances to score a late equaliser, and Tottenham’s travelling fans filed out into the rain singing about going to the final in Bilbao.