Tottenham Hotspur won a new victory thanks to Hishalisson's winning goal.
Tottenham won 1-0 against Alkmaar in the third round of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League (UEL) League phase at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, at 4 a.m. on the 25th (Korea time).
With this result, Tottenham has achieved three consecutive UEL wins and ranked second among the 36 teams, trailing Lazio in goal difference. Alkmaar, on the other hand, fell to 24th with one win and two losses.
Son Heung-min, who had high expectations, was not on the list. He was excluded from the list due to the injury he sustained in the eighth round against West Ham United. However, this was only a foregone conclusion.
Before the match, coach Enze Postecoglou said in a press conference, "He has been in a bit of pain since the game against West Ham. He will not play in this game."
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. chose a 4-3-3 formation on the day. Postecoglou started the rotation by giving some of his main players a break, perhaps because he was conscious of his weekend league schedule.
Fraser Forster defended the last shot. Destiny Udozi - Ben Davies - Radu Dragusin - Archie Gray formed the four-back. James Madison - Rodrigo Bentancur - Lucas Beribal stepped up in the midfield. The front three-top was formed by Timo Werner - Hischalisson - Mikey Moore.
Against this, Alkmaar also chose a 4-3-3 formation. Rom Jaden Owusu Oduro defended the last shot. David Möhler Wolf-Maxim Decker-Alexandr Penetra-Maikuma Seiya formed the four-back. Kristian Velich-Sven Mayans-Yordi Clash stepped up in the midfield. The front three-top was formed by Ruben van Bommel-Troy Parrott-Ernest Poku.
From the beginning of the first half, Tottenham took the lead and operated in an advantageous way. Werner's cross, which dug into the right side in the fourth minute of the first half, did not exactly catch Moore's header and missed the goal.
Madison and Werner threatened Alkmaar with consecutive shots in the 10th and 26th minutes of the first half, but the accuracy was poor. Alkmaar used intermittent counterattacks and set pieces to attack.
However, Alkmaar's attack was not effective. Tottenham also failed to score a goal as Werner's shot just before the end of the first half was far off the goal.
Postecoglou brought about changes by excluding Werner, who was sluggish in the first half, and putting in Brennan Johnson, who has recently improved his condition. Johnson joined Moore on the side, invigorating Tottenham's attack.
Tottenham finally paid off due to the continued offensive. In the 6th minute of the second half, Madison and Beribal tripped over Decker's tackle while penetrating in front of the gate to receive Bentancourt's pass.
The referee declared a penalty and Madison conceded the penalty to Hishalisson. Hishalisson, who was the kicker, opened the goal with a calm kick. Since then, the two teams have fiercely exchanged battles.
Alkmaar turned the game into his own style after the mid-to-late second half. However, the pursuit ended in the 40th minute when Olfe was sent off for a foul on Johnson.
In the end, Alkmaar was blocked by Tottenham and donated three points. Unlike sluggish performances in the Premier League (PL), Tottenham seems to have no match in the Europa League. In response, many local media outlets have pointed to Tottenham as a strong candidate for the championship. 안전놀이터
If Tottenham lifts the UEL trophy, Son Heung-min will win his first club career championship as a 'captain'.