Wilson Odobert Brace Sends Spurs Into Europa League Quarter-finals

Wilson Odobert scored twice as Tottenham secured a 3-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, advancing to the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win.

The 20-year-old French winger, who has been plagued by injuries since his 25 million move from Burnley in August, delivered when Spurs needed him most. The result will come as a relief for manager Ange Postecoglou, who was reportedly under pressure to secure a trophy this season. Spurs will now face 2022 Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt in the next round.

Postecoglou expressed satisfaction after the win, saying, We've progressed, which is the main thing, and I thought we played pretty well. We were in control for the most part, but we let them back in at times, making it nervy towards the end.

Tottenham's defense received a major boost with the return of first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who started together for the first time since December. Postecoglou highlighted their importance, adding, Romero and Micky make such a big difference to us.

Spurs dominated possession but struggled to break through until the 26th minute, when Son Heung-min blocked a clearance, allowing Odobert to curl the ball into the net for the opening goal. The second half saw an early strike from James Maddison, but Alkmaar responded with a goal from Peer Koopmeiners. Tottenham held firm, however, and Odobert sealed the win with a tap-in following a fine team move.