Tottenham v AZ: Europa League last-16, second leg – live (plus Rangers and Chelsea updates!)
Key events
Rangers interim boss Barry Ferguson is interviewed on TNT by former Rangers boss Ally McCoist. “Looking forward to it … we’ve had a good week of preparation … we’re just desperate for the game to start … the boys stuck to [their new shape in the first leg] really well … you might see similar or something different tonight … they’ll still put balls into the box … that’s where I need my defenders defending … I like them playing football but first things first, you’ve got to header the ball … I’ve got everybody fit … I want competition for places … it’s time for Dujon [Sterling] to show me he should be in the starting XI … we know it’s going to be tough … they’re going to come for us … we’re under no illusions … European nights here are magical and we need to light the fire to get the fans behind us.”
Ange Postecoglou speaks to TNT Sports. “It’s good to get Romero and Micky back, our centre-back pairing … we looked after Madders at the weekend … it’s important … they’re experienced guys … there for the big occasion and tonight’s certainly a big occasion so it’s great to have them all out there … it’s exciting … a big European night … we have to play our football … try to progress to the next round … we didn’t grow into the game [last week] … with the crowd behind us we can get some energy going early … hopefully the fans are excited and full of voice … we always go out there with the intent to win and score goals, and that’s what we have to do tonight … hopefully we’ll deliver.”
Spurs make six changes to their starting XI from the first leg against AZ in the Netherlands. Two are enforced, with Kevin Danso hamstrung and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended; Mathys Tel, Destiny Udogie, Archie Gray and Brennan Johnson drop to the bench. In come Cristian Romero, Dominic Solanke, Pedro Porro, Wilson Odobert, Pape Sarr and Micky van de Ven.
AZ make one change from last week. Ibrahim Sadiq replaces the injured Mayckel Lahdo on the wing.
Tottenham Hotspur v AZ teams
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence, Bergvall, Sarr, Maddison, Odobert, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Bissouma, Tel, Udogie, Gray, Johnson, Davies, Scarlett, Moore.
AZ: Owuso-Oduro, Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe, Clasie, Buurmeester, Koopmeiners, Sadiq, Parrott, Poku.
Subs: Verhulst, Zoet, Martins Indi, Belic, Dekker, Smit, de Wit, Meerdink, Dijkstra, van Duijn, Bouziane.
Referee: Joao Pedro Pinheiro (Portugal).
Rangers v Fenerbahçe teams
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Souttar, Sterling, Raskin, Barron, Jefte, Cerny, Diomande, Dessers.
Subs: Kelly, Yilmaz, Propper, Lawrence, Bajrami, Nsiala-Makengo, Igamane, Hagi, McCausland, Rice, Curtis, Danilo.
Fenerbahçe: Egribayat, Muldur, Skriniar, Akcicek, Kostic, Samuel, Amrabat, Fred, Szymanski, Talisca, En Nesyri.
Subs: Livakovic, Cetin, Djiku, Yandas, Dzeko, Tadic, Kahveci, Tosun, Tograk.
Referee: Espen Eskas (Norway).
Spurs aren’t the only British giants battling tonight to save their season†. The Granadaland soap-opera stars of Coronation Street Manchester United welcome Real Sociedad to Weatherfield Old Trafford this evening: Daniel Harris will be all over that one in the MBM style. There’s also the small matter of Rangers versus Fenerbahce, with the Glasgow giants taking a 3-1 lead into tonight’s second leg at Ibrox. Now don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just simple folk, but there’s no MBM for that one. However I’ll try my best to keep an eye on that here as well, not least because one of either Barry Ferguson or Jose Mourinho is guaranteed to end the evening with a face on, and combustable Euro-infused entertainment isn’t the sole preserve of teams from Madrid. Strap in, folks, it could be quite the ride.
†: This of course assumes Chelsea are going to make it through to the last eight of the Conference League, on account of having won their first leg 2-1 in Copenhagen. We’ll keep you posted, nonetheless, and pivot shamelessly should things go awry
Preamble
We’ve been here before this season …
… so there’s no reason why Ange Postecoglou’s unpredictable side can’t repair the damage done in the Netherlands last week …
… and keep alive hopes of their manager maintaining his record of always winning a trophy in his second full season at a club. Tottenham’s 2024-25 campaign – and their current pursuit of a first major trophy since 2008, and a first European pot since 1984 – stands or falls tonight. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
