Tottenham Hotspur’s captain, Son Heung-min (32), believes it’s premature to discuss his team’s prospects for clinching the Europa League title.
Ange Postecoglou’s squad capped off the league phase of the tournament with a decisive 3-0 victory against Swedish outfit IF Elfsborg in London.
Goals from academy graduates Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi, and Mikey Moore in the second half secured the Premier League side’s place in the next round, finishing fourth in their group.
This win extended Spurs’ impressive Europa League campaign to five victories and two draws, their sole defeat coming against Galatasaray in November 2024.
However, the South Korean international remains level-headed, suggesting that discussions about the title race should be reserved for later.
“Additionally, securing direct qualification is crucial. We’ll tackle the competition one match at a time.
“Right now, our focus is on the Round of 16 and we’ll be waiting to find out who we will face.”
“That’s all I have to say for now. We’re going to fight for as long as we can.”
In contrast to Son, Sweden’s Per Frick is of the opinion that Spurs possess the squad depth and quality necessary to vie for the title.
“We approached the game knowing that a draw would see us through to the next round, but we were just unfortunate. Defending against a top team like Spurs isn’t easy, and in hindsight, we felt we should have been more aggressive.”
Despite only playing 45 minutes against Elfsborg, Son was awarded man of the match after completing ten dribbles and winning eleven duels, the highest in the match.
He has been a vital contributor to Spurs’ campaign in 2024-25, netting three goals in six outings so far.
Manager Postecoglou expressed satisfaction with his team’s Europa League performance and hopes his injured players can return to full fitness before the knockout phase kicks off.
He remarked: “Our European campaign has been fairly solid. We’ve had to overcome some challenges along the way.
“Even in our first match here, we were down to ten men after ten minutes. Given the group we’ve faced, we’ve managed quite well.
“We’ve positioned ourselves well. Progressing to the Round of 16 without the need for a play-off gives us extra time to recuperate our players.”
“Hopefully, by the time the knockout rounds arrive, we’ll have more fit players to bolster the squad, and it’s an exciting challenge ahead.”
In the Round of 16, Tottenham will take on either Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, or Midtjylland, with these four teams set to compete in the knockout play-off round.
The English side is eager to end a 41-year drought for a European title, their last victory dating back to the 1983-84 season.
They triumphed over Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) final held at Brussels’ Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, winning 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
After their 2-0 away win against Brentford in the league on Sunday, Spurs’ upcoming challenge is a Carabao Cup match against Liverpool on Thursday, followed by a fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park three days later.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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