Sports Mole

Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt will face off in North London in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night.

Frankfurt were winners of this competition three years ago and look set to qualify for the Champions League regardless of their performance on the continent, whereas Spurs are in dire need of success in the Europa League after a dismal league season.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. EINTRACHT FRANKFURT

© Imago

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring), Radu Dragusin (knee), Timo Werner (unregistered), Antonin Kinsky (unregistered)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Maddison, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT

Out: Elye Wahi (knee), Ansgar Knauff (knee), Kevin Trapp (shin), Jens Grahl (unregistered), Junior Dina Ebimbe (unregistered), Oscar Hojlund (unregistered), Timothy Chandler (hamstring)

Doubtful: Can Uzun (illness)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Kaua Santos; Kristensen, Theate, Koch, Brown; Shkiri, Larsson, Tuta; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou could suffer a double suspension blow when the Lilywhites face Eintracht Frankfurt in Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg.

The Australian's unforgettable statement that he always wins things in his second year in a job - which is currently factually correct - could still ring true at the end of the season as Spurs chase continental glory.

The Lilywhites pulled off an eye-catching home comeback over AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their last-16 tie to earn a date with Frankfurt, prevailing 3-1 at home following a 1-0 defeat in the Netherlands.

Spurs had to make do without Rodrigo Bentancur due to suspension for the second leg with AZ, but the midfielder's return for Thursday's game means that the hosts have no players banned for the first leg.

However, both Yves Bissouma and Lucas Bergvall are walking a tightrope, as the midfielders are both on two yellow cards and are therefore just one caution away from serving a Europa League ban.

Spurs could lose Bissouma, Bergvall for Frankfurt second leg

In the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, three yellow cards trigger a one-game suspension, as do any even-numbered cautions after that (fifth, seventh, ninth bookings etc).

Yellow cards that do not result in a suspension are not wiped until the completion of the quarter-finals, meaning that Bissouma and Bergvall would miss the trip to Frankfurt if they are booked on Thursday.

Furthermore, even if the pair manage to avoid entering the referee's book in the first leg but are then cautioned in the second, they would miss the first leg of any potential semi-final should Spurs get there.

Dejan Kulusevski is also on two yellow cards for the Europa League campaign, but the Swedish attacker is still working his way back from a foot injury and is not expected to be available for either clash with Frankfurt.

Kulusevski joins Kevin Danso (hamstring) and Radu Dragusin (ACL) on the Spurs sidelines, but Postecoglou confirmed at his press conference on Wednesday that he otherwise expects to have everyone available.

Postecoglou delivers Spurs team news update and responds to sack claims

"Everyone is good from the weekend from a physical standpoint. It's a good place to be for us and not something we've had much," Postecoglou said, before also fielding a question on his own future.

Spurs' pitiful 14th-placed ranking in the Premier League table has naturally raised speculation that Postecoglou could be sacked, and BBC Sport claims that their Europa League performance will be a 'key factor' when it comes to deciding his future.

However, Postecoglou - whose Spurs contract does not expire until 2027 - affirmed that he has navigated his way through difficult times throughout the entirety of his career, adding: "I came to this club with a clear purpose of rejuvenating a squad that was coming to the end of a cycle.

"Whatever noise there is, now or in the future, that shouldn't diminish that desire. Everything in my professional life has come through a struggle," as quoted by football.london.

Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt will go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the Europa League over two legs this month, with the first leg taking place in North London on Thursday.

Success in this competition came Frankfurt's way just three years ago, while Spurs are desperate to be the winners in Bilbao next month, in order to avoid extending their trophy drought to 17 years.

Standing in their way are a Frankfurt side who they faced in Europe just over two years ago, but this will be the first meeting between the two in the Europa League.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 4

Spurs wins: 2

Draws: 1

Frankfurt wins: 1

Meetings between Spurs and Frankfurt have been rare, but when they have faced off, a lot has been at stake.

The upcoming encounter will see them battle for a spot in the semi-finals of the Europa League, and that was the same objective both had when they were drawn together in the Cup Winners' Cup back in 1982.

Likewise to the 2025 edition, Spurs were drawn at home in the first leg, and they came out 2-0 winners at White Hart Lane thanks to goals from Paul Miller and Micky Hazard.

However, Frankfurt gave them an early shock in the return leg, taking a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes, but fortunately for Spurs, they had Glenn Hoddle in their ranks, and the club icon netted late on to send Spurs into the semi-finals, but they were beaten by eventual winners Barcelona at that stage.

It would be 40 years until the two met again, with Frankfurt being granted a spot in the Champions League thanks to their Europa League success the previous season, and they were drawn with Spurs in the group stage, as well as Sporting Lisbon and Marseille.

The matchday three clash at Deutsche Bank-Park was cagey and underwhelming, with just three shots on target across a goalless 90 minutes, but the action was evidently saved for the return fixture a week later.

Still mourning from the passing of Gian Piero Ventrone, fitness coach and close friend of manager Antonio Conte, Spurs trailed early on through Daichi Kamada, but stormed back to lead 3-1 at the break thanks to a double from Son Heung-min and a Harry Kane penalty.

Tuta was sent off for the visitors just after the break, but they still gave Spurs a late scare thanks to Faride Alidou's goal three minutes from time, and Kane could not make sure of the win, missing a rare penalty shortly after, but Spurs did hang on for a 3-2 victory, eventually topping the group, with Frankfurt coming second, but both were eliminated in the last 16.

Previous meetings

Oct 12, 2022: Spurs 3-2 Frankfurt (Champions League Group Stage)

Oct 04, 2022: Frankfurt 0-0 Spurs (Champions League Group Stage)

Mar 17, 1982: Frankfurt 2-1 Spurs (Cup Winners' Cup Quarter-Final Second Leg)

Mar 03, 1982: Spurs 2-0 Frankfurt (Cup Winners' Cup Quarter-Final First Leg)

Read more on Spurs vs Frankfurt

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou could keep his XI largely similar to the one that won their Europa League last-16 tie when they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to North London on Thursday.

This quarter-final first leg will be crucial to Spurs' season, and that was illustrated by the fact the manager was unwilling to risk either Micky van de Ven or Destiny Udogie in the weekend win over Southampton, given their injury record this season.

Ben Davies and Djed Spence started instead, but Van de Ven and Udogie are set to return to the side, especially with Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin absent at the back.

Dejan Kulusevski is the big injury miss elsewhere, with the Swede likely to miss both legs of this tie, as Postecoglou confirmed he is still a couple of weeks away at the start of the month.

Richarlison did make his return to the squad at the weekend though after yet another setback, and that could be hugely important to their chances, while also taking some of the pressure off Dominic Solanke, who is enduring a difficult spell in front of goal.

The summer signing from Bournemouth has not scored since January 4, with nine appearances passing without finding the net since.

There have been no such problems for Brennan Johnson, who returned to form at the weekend with a brace in the 3-1 win over the Saints, and that could be enough to hand him a start over Wilson Odobert, who scored the winner against AZ.

Another boost is the return of Rodrigo Bentancur, who was missing from the second leg against AZ, but has now served his European suspension and will be in contention to start, as he did at the weekend.

Spurs' January business and injury issues this season mean they have a few players unregistered for the Europa League, including Timo Werner, and young keeper Antonin Kinsky, so neither will play any part here.

No Data Analysis info

Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will lead his side into the club's biggest game of the season so far at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night.

After losing in the EFL Cup semi-finals to Liverpool, everything has felt geared towards a Europa League charge to save Spurs' season, with Postecoglou adamant he can still deliver a trophy within that two-year window.

Match preview

It has not been an easy week for Postecoglou, as he has had to deal with more questions about his future, as well as seeing VAR deny him a potential point at Chelsea, while hearing the Spurs supporters boo his substitutes at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs were beaten 1-0, but after bringing Pape Sarr off the bench to a chorus of boos from the away end, the midfielder found the net before it was disallowed for a foul, and Postecoglou appeared to cup his ears to the away end, something he vehemently denied.

The narrow 3-1 win to a now-relegated Southampton on Sunday will not have done much to improve the ill-feeling between the two parties, but an impressive performance and result in this first leg certainly will.

A positive first-leg performance was definitely not seen in the last 16 though, when Spurs were woeful away to AZ Alkmaar and were lucky to leave with only a one-goal deficit, but they made amends with a 3-1 win at home to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

Spurs were largely impressive in the UEL league phase, finishing fourth, and they are third-favourites to win the competition, but before even reaching the final, they will need to come through two challenging tests, as Lazio are set to await the winners of this tie, if they see off Bodo/Glimt.

This is the host's first European quarter-final since 2019 when they knocked Manchester City out on away goals on the way to the final after one of the most dramatic second legs in Champions League history.

However, the first-leg win they achieved in that tie remains the only quarter-final success they have managed in 13 attempts, so something must change here if they are to keep their season alive.

Spurs met Frankfurt in the group stages of the Champions League in 2022-23, but the only previous knockout tie between the two was at this stage of the 1981-82 Cup Winners' Cup when the English side edged out their German counterparts 3-2 on aggregate.

For Frankfurt, this is a path they have trodden before, with it being their third Europa League quarter-final in six years.

An ominous sign for Spurs is that Frankfurt have failed to win either of the first legs in those two previous ties, but they still went on to progress, famously away at the Nou Camp on the way to winning the competition in 2022.

This is their competition, with just two defeats in 23 UEL games, many of which did come in the 2021-22 season when Oliver Glasner led them to continental glory, but the current crop also looks capable of going all the way.

Dino Toppmoller's men thrashed Ajax 6-1 on aggregate in the last 16 after coming fifth in the league phase, but the truth is that they have looked slightly poorer since Omar Marmoush left for Man City in January.

The visitors have won just five of their last 13 matches, and suffered another defeat at the weekend, going down 2-0 at Werder Bremen, but they were still able to retain third place in the Bundesliga despite that result.

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League form:

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

Team News

Spurs will remain without Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso for the next couple of weeks, potentially keeping them out of both legs of this tie, while Radu Dragusin will miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear.

Timo Werner will not be able to face the club from his homeland, as he is not registered in Spurs' Europa League squad, but Richarlison could be in line for some minutes after returning from injury at the weekend.

Rodrigo Bentancur is back from the ban that kept him out of the second leg against AZ, while Postecoglou was keen to keep injury-prone pair Micky van den Ven and Destiny Udogie in reserve at the weekend ahead of this tie.

Frankfurt will have Nnamdi Collins available after a European suspension at the back, but in goal, the inexperienced Kaua Santos may have to continue, given the injury to Kevin Trapp, and the fact Jens Grahl is unregistered.

Oscar Hojlund, brother of Rasmus, and Junior Dina Ebimbe will also be unavailable as they are not registered, while Ansgar Knauff and Elye Wahi are currently sidelined with injury, but Croat Igor Matanovic returned at the weekend after a two-month absence.

Youngster Can Uzun could be back after illness, but veteran defender Timothy Chandler is still on the treatment table with a long-term hamstring problem.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Maddison, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Kaua Santos; Kristensen, Theate, Koch, Brown; Shkiri, Larsson, Tuta; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Spurs have reserved most of their best form for the Europa League this season, and Postecoglou must ensure his side takes an advantage into the second leg at least, if he wants to alleviate the pressure on his job.

Frankfurt very rarely lose in this competition, and they knocked West Ham United out across London in 2022, but their form has taken a slight hit recently, following Marmoush's departure in particular.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Thursday evening when they play the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt.

At a time when Ange Postecoglou remains under fierce pressure at the North Londoners, he watched his team earn a 3-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

However, with Spurs remaining in 14th place in the table, it feels imperative that Postecologu's side continue to perform in this competition for the Greek-Australian to remain in the dugout for 2025-26.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Frankfurt, who sit in third position in the Bundesliga table.

Kevin Danso

© Iconsport

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: April 21 (vs. Nottingham Forest)

Kevin Danso hurt his hamstring in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last month, and Postecoglou has conceded that the Austria international will not return until later in April.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: April 21 (vs. Nottingham Forest)

Likewise, Dejan Kulusevski is not expected to return from his foot injury for another fortnight or so, but the Swedish attacker will almost certainly be back before the campaign comes to a close.

Radu Dragusin

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

While Danso and Kulusevski are all on track to return this month, Radu Dragusin is unlikely to play again this year as the Romanian's ACL injury is expected to rule him out until 2026.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this game.

No Data Analysis info

Southampton's latest stint in Premier League football could officially come to an end if the Saints fall short in Sunday's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The visitors are 19 points shy of safety with 24 left to play for, while their hosts occupy a humiliating 14th place in the Premier League table, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for the two clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. SOUTHAMPTON

© Imago

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring)

Doubtful: Richarlison (calf)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Flynn Downes (suspended), Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness), Will Smallbone (groin)

Doubtful: Paul Onuachu (ankle)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Archer, Dibling

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Southampton's latest stint in Premier League football could officially come to an end if the Saints fall short in Sunday's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The visitors are 19 points shy of safety with 24 left to play for, while their hosts occupy a humiliating 14th place in the Premier League table, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for the two clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. SOUTHAMPTON

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot), Kevin Danso (hamstring)

Doubtful: Richarlison (calf)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Flynn Downes (suspended), Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness), Will Smallbone (groin)

Doubtful: Paul Onuachu (ankle)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Archer, Dibling

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski has reportedly caught the eye of two top-level Italian clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old is currently sidelined with a foot injury, and his absence has been well and truly felt, as Spurs have won just one of their five games in all competitions without the Swedish attacker.

Ange Postecoglou's men have also failed to find the back of the net in three of those clashes, most recently a 1-0 Premier League loss to London rivals Chelsea on Thursday evening, which made it four games without a win in the top flight.

The Lilywhites' dreadful season has left them 14th in the Premier League standings - "unacceptable" in Postecoglou's own words - although they are still vying for Europa League glory between now and the end of the season.

Spurs will soon take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals and will earn a ticket to the Champions League should they go all the way in the tournament, but failure to do so will consign them to a Europe-less 2025-26.

Napoli, AC Milan 'showing interest' in summer Kulusevski deal

Failure to qualify for any form of continental football might leave Tottenham vulnerable to bids for their most prized assets, a category that 24-year-old Kulusevski undoubtedly falls into.

The former Juventus man has managed 10 goals and as many assists in 42 games in the current campaign, and according to GIVEMESPORT, both Napoli and AC Milan want to bring him back to Serie A.

Kulusevski represented Atalanta BC, Parma and Juventus during his time in Italy before joining Spurs on an initial loan deal in January 2022, at which point the Lilywhites were under the wing of current Napoli boss Antonio Conte.

The Partenopei are now seeking replacements for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after his January exit for Paris Saint-Germain, but they will reportedly have to pay at least £50m if they want to reunite Kulusevski with Conte.

The 24-year-old's Tottenham contract does not expire until the end of the 2027-28 campaign, and the Lilywhites have supposedly not ruled out the prospect of pricing him out of a move back to Serie A.

Kulusevski's Italy return stance 'revealed' amid Napoli, Milan interest

Kulusevski managed to make a name for himself during his first spell in Italy's top division, managing 15 goals and as many assists in 94 games and commanding a £25.5m fee to leave Juventus permanently.

The Scandinavian may supposedly open the door to going back to Serie A at some point in his career, but the report adds that he is not currently pushing for a second spell in the Italian top flight.

Spurs' hopes of hanging onto Kulusevski have seemingly been handed a boost in recent hours, as Milan's interest was said to stem from the prospect of Fabio Paratici joining the club as their new sporting director.

Paratici worked for Spurs before being handed a worldwide ban for financial irregularities during his time with Juventus; his suspension ends in the summer, but Milan's attempts to bring him to San Siro have reportedly collapsed. body check tags ::

Southampton's short-lived stay in the Premier League could officially come to an end on Sunday afternoon if they lose to fellow crisis club Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The Saints are teetering on the brink after an agonising 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in midweek, before their capital counterparts sank to a 1-0 loss to London rivals Chelsea.

Match preview

Unless Tottenham unexpectedly go all the way in this season's Europa League, the only 'cups' that the Spurs faithful will receive will be Ange Postecoglou cupping his ears to the crowd in Thursday's clash with Chelsea, an enraging encounter from start to finish for the Tottenham boss.

Enzo Fernandez's effort settled the derby in the Blues' favour, and Spurs' one uplifting moment was quickly snatched from them when a Pape Sarr equaliser was disallowed following a VAR review, triggering another one of Postecoglou's customary post-match technology rants.

The former Celtic head coach was also forced to deny that his ear-cupping to the away end was a hostile one - his decision to withdraw Lucas Bergvall for Sarr was met with a highly negative reaction - but regardless, that gesture was highly ill-advised after Sarr's strike was chalked off.

Only boasting one point from their last four games in England's top division, Tottenham's 14th-placed standing in the Premier League table makes for increasingly grim reading, as does their horrendous record of one win from their last 10 Premier League matches at home.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou's second-season trophy prophecy could still come true as the Lilywhites prepare to battle Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and Spurs could hardly have wished for a friendlier fixture to regain some much-needed momentum before Thursday's first leg.

As has been the story of the Saints' season, even ending their six-game losing run at home to Crystal Palace left an incredibly bitter taste in the mouth, as Ivan Juric's side were oh so close to just a third Premier League win of the campaign thanks to Paul Onuachu's opener.

However, a tale of two headers ended with Matheus Franca breaking Southampton hearts in the second minute of added time, meaning that the Premier League's whipping boys could be condemned to their fate in record time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The formula is simple; if Southampton lose at Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Ipswich Town on Saturday, Juric's men will be relegated with seven games left to play, writing a new page of unwanted Premier League history in the process.

No team has ever been relegated as early as gameweek 31 before - the current 'record' is held by 2007-08 Derby County and 2018-19 Huddersfield Town, who were consigned to demotion in gameweek 32 - and the Saints' measly 10-point total still puts them on course for the worst-ever Premier League season.

To make matters worse, Southampton were slaughtered 5-0 by Spurs on home soil in December and have conceded in each of their last 15 Premier League away games against Tottenham, who even in their current state will be backed to hammer the final nail into their visitors' relegation coffin.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Southampton Premier League form:

Team News

The only positive from Thursday night's defeat for Spurs, Postecoglou confirmed in his pre-game press conference that no new players picked up injuries; Micky van de Ven was only cramping at the end and should be passed fit for Sunday.

Luckless attacker Richarlison might also be in with a chance of coming back from a calf problem, having made his return to training over the past week, but Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (foot) and Kevin Danso (hamstring) are still on the treatment table.

Postecoglou has confirmed that he will shuffle the pack this weekend with Frankfurt on the horizon, which spells good news for the likes of Sarr, Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel; it would not be a huge surprise to see Son Heung-min spared for this one.

As for a doomed Southampton, Flynn Downes's 10th yellow card of the season in the draw with Crystal Palace means that he is suspended for Sunday's game, which Juan Larios (fitness), Ross Stewart (fitness) and Will Smallbone (groin) will also miss.

In keeping with the theme of their disastrous season, Juric was also forced to bring off all of Lesley Ugochukwu (unspecified), Onuachu (fatigue) and Ryan Manning (hand) against Palace, and the trio's availability for the weekend remains clouded in uncertainty.

Juric only described Onuachu as "exhausted", so the towering striker will likely be OK to reprise his role, but Joe Aribo, Tyler Dibling and Yukinari Sugawara should all gear up for promotions to the first XI.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap; Sugawara, Aribo, Fernandes, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Onuachu, Sulemana

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Southampton

Expect a slightly weakened Spurs side to take to the field this weekend as Postecoglou prioritises the Europa League, not that it should make much difference to the final scoreline.

As pitiful as Tottenham's performance was in midweek, a refreshed set of options should comfortably condemn Southampton to their 25th Premier League loss of the season, one that might officially punch their ticket to the 2025-26 Championship.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!