Tottenham’s Europa League Game Ends in Own-Goal Disaster
Tottenham Hotspur, led by Ange Postecoglou, had a bad night in their Europa League first-leg match against AZ Alkmaar, losing 1-0 in the Netherlands. A ridiculous own goal by Lucas Bergvall gifted AZ their first win against an English team ever, after 11 tries. Tottenham Suffers Comical Own Goal Defeat.
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Early Own Goal Gives AZ the Edge
The key moment happened in the 18th minute. AZ’s Troy Parrott took a shot in the box, and Bergvall, trying to clear it, messed up big time and scored on his own goal, sailing the ball past his teammate Djed Spence. This weird own goal put AZ ahead and left Bergvall in shock.
Even though Spurs had over a week to get ready, they couldn’t get going. They didn’t create any good chances in the first half and didn’t even get a shot on target until late in the game. With the Europa League being Tottenham’s last shot at a trophy, this poor showing is a worry for Postecoglou.
Wasted Chances and a Bad First Half
Tottenham’s attack was weak in the first half. Parrott almost scored again for AZ soon after the first goal, but Archie Gray blocked his shot, and Ernest Poku missed the rebound. Son Heung-min had a chance for the visitors, but a bad free-kick summed up their irritating first half.
AZ kept up the pressure, forcing Spurs to defend desperately. James Maddison made a great sliding tackle to stop David Moller Wolfe, and Bergvall partially made up for his mistake by blocking a shot from Peer Koopmeiners before halftime. Tottenham Suffers Comical Own Goal Defeat.
Tottenham Shows a Bit More Life After Halftime
Postecoglou subbed in Wilson Odobert for Mathys Tel at halftime to try and get the attack going. Bergvall had an opportunity to fix things but missed, and Son blasted a shot way over the net.
AZ kept generating opportunities, though, and Poku forced Guglielmo Vicario to make another save after a dangerous pass from Moller Wolfe. Things got worse for Tottenham when Rodrigo Bentancur got a yellow card for a late hit on Parrott, meaning he’ll miss the second leg.
Late Subs Don’t Spark a Comeback
With time running out, Postecoglou made a bunch of changes, bringing in Pedro Porro, Pape Sarr, and Dominic Solanke. But these moves didn’t help. Tottenham’s attack stayed slow and only tested AZ’s goalie in the 88th minute, when Odobert’s shot forced a save.
To top it off, Solanke had to leave the game late after getting hurt in a collision with AZ’s goalie, adding to Tottenham’s injury trouble before the second leg in London.
Everything’s on the Line in the Second Leg
Spurs now have a tough job ahead as they try to come back from behind in the next game. With their hopes in Europe hanging by a thread, they need to play much better at home if they want to make it to the quarter-finals. Tottenham Suffers Comical Own Goal Defeat.
