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Tottenham Hotspur moved themselves into the top eight of the Europa League standings with a thrilling 3-2 away win over Hoffenheim on Thursday evening. The victory propelled Ange Postecoglou’s side from ninth to fourth, putting them in a strong position to avoid the two-legged playoffs and reach the round of 16.
James Maddison’s stunning third-minute goal set the tone for the match, with the midfielder unleashing a powerful shot that left the Hoffenheim goalkeeper with no chance. Heung-Min Son doubled Tottenham’s lead 20 minutes later with a deflected shot, giving the visitors control of the fixture.
However, Hoffenheim mounted a fierce comeback in the second half, with the hosts pushing Tottenham’s makeshift defence to the limit. Brandon Austin was adjudged to have fouled Max Moerstedt in the penalty area, but VAR intervened to overturn the decision. Undeterred, Hoffenheim continued to press, and Anton Stach eventually found the back of the net.
Son quickly restored Tottenham’s two-goal cushion with his second goal of the evening, wrapping his shot into the far corner. However, Hoffenheim refused to give up, and substitute David Mokwa Ntusu’s header set up a tense finish.
Tottenham’s makeshift defence, featuring teenager Archie Gray at left-back, held firm to secure the win. The victory snapped Tottenham’s three-game winless streak in Europe and put them in a promising position ahead of their final league-phase game against Elfsborg on January 30.
Postecoglou’s side hold a one-point advantage over the teams vying for automatic qualification, with the manager describing their position as “great” after the game. With one game remaining, Tottenham are poised to avoid the two-legged playoffs and reach the round of 16, a significant boost to their Europa League hopes.
