Spurs survive second-half scare to claim rare win

Tottenham secured a vital 3-2 win over Hoffenheim in a thrilling Europa League match at the PreZero Arena.

Goals from James Maddison and Heung-Min Son gave Spurs an early lead, and despite a spirited second-half response from the hosts, Son’s second goal sealed victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The visitors could not have asked for a better start as Maddison opened the scoring in just the third minute.

Pedro Porro provided a spot-on assist, slotting the ball through the Hoffenheim defense to find Maddison, who finished past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

The England international’s goal was Spurs’ fastest in Europe this season and set the tone for a dominant first-half display.

Tottenham doubled their lead in the 22nd minute. Maddison was involved again, taking advantage of a sloppy Hoffenheim defense to set up captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean’s left-footed shot took a wicked deflection, went over Baumann and into the net.

A special night for Sonny ✨ pic.twitter.com/X2CHbIodo2

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 23, 2025

The visitors could have added to their tally before the break, with Richarlison and Son both going close, but they headed into half-time with a comfortable 2-0 lead.

The second half saw a completely different Hoffenheim. Spurred on by their home fans, the German side pressed Tottenham relentlessly and created numerous chances.

Their persistence paid off in the 68th minute when Anton Stach found the back of the net.

A quick counter-attack led to David Jurasek sending in a low cross, which Stach expertly converted to give Hoffenheim a lifeline.

The goal marked the end of a long scoring drought for Hoffenheim in the Europa League, and the momentum shifted firmly in their favour.

Tottenham found themselves behind, with Hoffenheim dominating possession and creating wave after wave of attacks.

Kramaric went close with a header that hit the crossbar, while a penalty appeal involving goalkeeper Brandon Austin was overturned after a VAR check.

Despite Hoffenheim’s efforts, Tottenham weathered the storm and struck the decisive blow in the 77th minute. Youngster Mikey Moore, who had replaced Richarlison earlier, provided the assist for Son’s second goal of the night.

Rodrigo Bentancur started the play, playing the ball to Moore, who released Son with a perfectly weighted pass.

The Spurs captain raced into the box and fired a low shot past Baumann to restore his two-goal cushion.

There was more drama with minutes remaining after David Ngabi Mokwa Ntusu headed home to make it 2-3 with injury time still to come.

But the visitors saw things through, edging closer to qualifying for their Europa League group, while Hoffenheim were left to rue missed opportunities as their struggles in the competition continued.