Tottenham Hotspur secured a vital 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, confirming a place in the Champions League Round of 16 following a top-eight finish in the league phase.
Let us take a look at five things we learned from Tottenham 2-0 Frankfurt.
Tottenham through to the automatic knockouts
Spurs did get the job done and are now through to the round of 16 following their top-eight finish in the league phase.
Goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke proved to be enough for Thomas Frank’s side, who secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Frankfurt in Germany.
With a top-eight spot secured, Tottenham have now avoided the extra play-off games for sides outside the automatic qualification places and will be back in Champions League action in March.
That should come as a major relief for Frank and his coaching staff, who should have a few of their injured stars available for at least one of the round-of-16 legs.
It is an impressive achievement for Tottenham, featuring in the Champions League for the first time under this new format and securing a fourth-place finish.
Thomas Frank will get at least a couple more weeks in charge
While pressure continues to surround the Dane, a victory on Wednesday night is sure to earn him at least a couple more weeks in the Tottenham dugout.
Spurs’ Premier League form has been disappointing, but their European performances have been among the best in the competition, with Frank guiding the club to a top-four finish in the league phase in his debut season.
Judging by how the club stuck with Ange Postecoglou throughout last season, a similar approach could now apply to Frank, given the parallels in their situations.
Injuries have mounted, league results have faltered, yet the European run has remained impressive. Whether supporter pressure alters that stance remains to be seen, but after this win, Frank should remain in place for the weekend’s league fixture.
Thomas Frank appears to have settled on a back three
Injuries have significantly impacted the Tottenham squad, with every area affected. Coming into the clash in Frankfurt, the back line took another hit, with both Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven unavailable.
Porro is now facing a lengthy spell out, while van de Ven could return as early as this weekend. Even so, it appears clear that Frank will persist with his current back three.
Djed Spence has been used on the right, Destiny Udogie on the left, and Cristian Romero through the centre, with van de Ven potentially reintegrated when fit.
Given how well the unit performed and the ongoing injury issues, there appears little reason to change that setup in the immediate future.
Tottenham strikers finally make the difference as Dominic Solanke returns
For once, it was not a Tottenham centre-back getting on the scoresheet, which will come as a welcome sight.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have contributed a significant portion of Spurs’ goals this season, an output that is difficult to sustain over time.
On this occasion, the forwards stepped up, with Kolo Muani and Solanke both finding the net to secure a much-needed 2-0 victory.
Solanke’s strike was his second in consecutive Champions League appearances, while Muani scored for the first time since November, a timely boost for both players.
Wilson Odobert looks more effective on the right
The injury situation has forced Frank to be inventive with his attacking structure, and the balance looked encouraging in Frankfurt.
On the left, there was frequent rotation, with Muani, Xavi Simons and Udogie all interchanging across the flank.
On the right, Wilson Odobert has been asked to fill the role often occupied by Mohammed Kudus, and the signs have been positive.
The young Frenchman has impressed in recent outings, delivering an assist against Borussia Dortmund and posing a consistent threat in domestic action, and it was more of the same here as he struck the bar with a long-range effort and enjoyed several bright spells.