Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who had been criticized for not working hard to dismiss manager Ange Postecoglou, was on fire.
Tottenham won 3-1 against AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) in the second leg of the Round of 16 of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 14th (Korean time).
After losing 0-1 in the away first leg on the 7th, Tottenham turned the match around in the second leg. They succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals with an aggregate score of 3-2.
Tottenham, currently in 13th place in the Premier League, has been eliminated from both the EFL Cup and FA Cup, leaving the Europa League as the only tournament with hopes of winning this season.
Tottenham adopted a 4-3-3 formation. Son Heung-min, Solanke, and Odover were placed in the attacking lineup. In midfield, Maddison, Bellingham, and Sarr were on the field, while the defense was composed of Spence, Van de Ven, Romero, and Pedro Porro. The goalkeeper was Vicario.
Alkmaar used a 4-2-3-1 formation. Parrott was positioned as the front striker. In the second line were Sadik, Burmeister, and Poku. In the third line were Koopmeiners and Klaasie. The defense was made up of Maikumar, Hus, Alexandre, and Müller Wolf. The goalkeeper was Owusu-Odur.
Both teams engaged in an early exploration phase.
Son Heung-min led Tottenham's attack. In the 22nd minute of the first half, he delivered a sharp cross from the left flank. It seemed to connect with a teammate, but the goalkeeper from the opposing team was first to punch the ball away.
Tottenham scored the opening goal in the 25th minute of the first half. Son Heung-min played a pivotal role. Seeing Son Heung-min pressured by defender Hock, he attempted to kick the ball far from his own half. However, the ball hit Son Heung-min's body and was deflected to Solanke, a Tottenham forward in the box. This quickly created a counterattack opportunity for Tottenham. Odover, rushing into the penalty area, received the ball and scored with a powerful shot.
With Odover's goal, the aggregate score in the first and second legs was balanced at 1-1.
In the 33rd minute of the first half, this time Son Heung-min aimed for a goal himself. He penetrated from the left side toward the top of the arc and took a well-aimed right-foot shot, which was saved. Three minutes later, he tried again for the team's second goal along a similar route, but this time the defense cleared Son Heung-min's shot.
Tottenham continued to look for opportunities through the left side, which Son Heung-min was protecting. In the 1st minute of stoppage time in the first half, Son Heung-min, who possessed the ball on the left, sent it into the box. However, it lacked precision.
In the 2nd minute of stoppage time in the first half, Tottenham cleverly drew a foul to earn a free kick near the box. Maddison stepped up as the kicker and took the shot, which deflected off the defense and went over. They failed to capitalize on the ensuing corner kick.
In the 2nd minute of the second half, Tottenham breathed a sigh of relief. After receiving a back pass from Romero, Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario seemed to handle the ball calmly but was pressured by an opposing player and broke into a sweat. He barely avoided losing the ball.
After the crisis came an opportunity. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Tottenham added another goal. Son Heung-min provided the assist, and Maddison scored. On a counterattack, Son Heung-min received a lateral pass on the left flank. After breaking into the Alkmaar box, he delivered a short pass to Maddison, who was unmarked. Maddison found the net with a precise shot into the right corner of the goal. Tottenham led the aggregate score to 2-1.
Alkmaar did not remain idle either. In the 13th minute of the second half, in a corner kick situation, Klaasie attempted a low and fast shot. It narrowly missed the goal.
In the 16th minute of the second half, changes were made to the Tottenham defense. Manager Ange Postecoglou substituted Van de Ven for Gray.
Just after the changes in the Tottenham defense, in the 18th minute of the second half, Alkmaar scored a goal. Tottenham's lax handling of the ball in their own defensive area led to this opportunity. Miscommunication between Bellingham and Odover resulted in neither handling the ball properly. Taking advantage of this gap, Koopmeiners seized the ball near the box and scored with a lightning shot. The aggregate score was tied at 2-2.
In the 29th minute of the second half, Tottenham regained the lead. Once again, it started from Son Heung-min's feet. He received a pass from Maddison coming from the back on the left flank and cleverly fed it to Spence, who was ahead. He immediately crossed into the box. Solanke touched it with his heel, and the ball fell to Odover, who had provided the earlier goal. Odover blasted the ball into the net with a right-footed inside shot. Tottenham surged ahead again with an aggregate score of 3-2.
Four minutes of stoppage time were given. Alkmaar fought hard for another goal, but Tottenham did not give them an opening.
The match concluded with Tottenham's victory, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals.
The Evening Standard praised Son Heung-min after the match, noting he played a crucial role in scoring three goals, saying he made a significant impact in the final third. They awarded him a top rating of 9 along with Bellingham and Odover. Tottenham Hotspur News stated, "He showed signs of regaining peak condition. Although several crosses went awry, he had a positive impact compared to recent criticisms," and gave him a top rating of 7.
Tottenham Hotspur News reported the day before, saying, "Son Heung-min is not working hard to dismiss manager Ange Postecoglou," and "Tottenham plans to release him this summer as he is not living up to his salary." Football London commented, "He created Odover's first goal through forward pressing. He was involved in all three goals, demonstrating a captain's performance," awarding him a score of 8, acknowledging Son Heung-min’s contributions.
[OSEN = Woo Chung-won reporter]