Tottenham Hotspur kept their Europa League dreams alive with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their round of 16 tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to advance with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline. In a match that encapsulated both the brilliance and fragility of Ange Postecoglou’s side, Wilson Odobert emerged as the hero with a brace, while James Maddison’s cool finish proved decisive in securing a place in the quarter-finals.
The night began with palpable tension in North London, as Spurs, trailing from Lucas Bergvall’s unfortunate own goal in the first leg, faced a must-win scenario to keep their season afloat. With the Europa League now their only realistic shot at silverware in the 2024-25 campaign, Postecoglou fielded a strong lineup, featuring the return of defensive stalwarts Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, alongside the attacking flair of Son Heung-min and Dominic Solanke.
Tottenham wasted no time asserting their intent. In the 25th minute, Wilson Odobert, the 20-year-old summer signing, opened his account for the club with a clinical finish. Latching onto a pinpoint through-ball from Maddison, Odobert darted past AZ’s Maxim Dekker and slotted the ball beyond goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, leveling the aggregate score at 1-1. The stadium erupted, sensing a turning point in Spurs’ stuttering season.
The second half kicked off with renewed vigor, and just three minutes in, Maddison doubled Tottenham’s lead. A swift counter-attack saw Son release the midfielder into space, and Maddison calmly lifted the ball over the onrushing Owusu-Oduro to make it 2-0 on the night. For a moment, it seemed Spurs might cruise to victory—but this is Tottenham, where simplicity is rarely on the menu.
AZ Alkmaar clawed their way back into the contest in the 62nd minute through Peer Koopmeiners. A defensive mix-up between Bergvall and Pedro Porro gifted the Dutch side a lifeline, with Koopmeiners rifling a low shot past Guglielmo Vicario to make it 2-1 (2-2 on aggregate). The visitors’ resurgence rattled Spurs, and the home crowd grew anxious as AZ pressed for an equalizer that would have swung the tie in their favor.
However, Odobert proved the difference once more. In the 73rd minute, the young Frenchman pounced on a loose ball in the box after Solanke’s effort was parried by Owusu-Oduro, smashing it into the roof of the net to restore Tottenham’s two-goal cushion. The strike not only sealed the 3-1 result but also showcased Odobert’s growing importance to a side desperate for new heroes.
The match wasn’t without its nervy moments—Spurs’ defensive lapses and occasional sloppiness in possession kept fans on edge until the final whistle. Yet, the result offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise challenging season. With Odobert’s brace and Maddison’s magic, Tottenham have a platform to rally around as they chase European glory.