Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie at the AFAS Stadion.
The decisive moment came in the 18th minute when midfielder Lucas Bergvall inadvertently directed the ball into his own net while attempting to clear a shot from former Spurs striker Troy Parrott.
Despite enjoying 61% possession, Spurs struggled to penetrate AZ’s defense, managing only one shot on target throughout the match.
The attacking trio of Mathys Tel, Brennan Johnson, and captain Son Heung-Min failed to create significant scoring opportunities.
Defensively, Tottenham appeared vulnerable, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario making several crucial saves to prevent AZ from extending their lead. Notably, he denied Parrott in a one-on-one situation, keeping Spurs within reach.
Manager Ange Postecoglou introduced changes in the second half, bringing on Wilson Odobert for Tel at halftime and later introducing Pedro Porro, Dominic Solanke, and Pape Matar Sarr.
However, these substitutions failed to shift the momentum, and Spurs remained largely ineffective in the final third.
The loss leaves Tottenham with a challenging task in the return leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. To progress to the quarter-finals, they will need a markedly improved performance to overturn the one-goal deficit.
