Lucas Bergvall produced a strong display for Tottenham against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League
Tottenham Hotspur continued their fantastic Europa League campaign with a third straight win. They came on top of Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday evening, winning 1-0 thanks to a second-half penalty from Richarlison.
A handful of youngsters and fringe players got opportunities to shine, one of whom was Lucas Bergvall.
Starting on the right of a midfield three alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall helped Tottenham dictate the tempo of play against AZ Alkmaar. While the teenager prefers operating as a No.10, he has played as an attacking No.8 before for his former club Djurgardens IF.
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Ange Postecoglou wants his team to press aggressively and win the ball higher up the pitch, be dynamic on the ball and play with freedom. He prefers an aggressive approach and demands the maintenance of the team’s structure, on and off the ball.
Bergvall did what was asked of him, influencing both the defensive and offensive phases of the game. The Sweden international completed a healthy 91 per cent of his passes from 32 passes and 50 touches. One of those was a key pass and he also created one big chance.
The creative midfielder played two accurate crosses into the box from three attempts, while completing four of five long balls forward. He also won four of his seven ground duels. Bergvall was no slouch defensively as he blocked two shots, made one vital interception and won three tackles. The Scandinavian prodigy worked extremely hard to close the spaces between the midfield and defence to earn his team a deserved clean sheet on the night.
However, his most vital contribution came eight minutes after the break when he won the all-important penalty for his side, which Richarlison calmly converted and helped Spurs pocket the points. (Stats courtesy: SofaScore)
Spurs dealt a blow when Bergvall was forced off in the 73rd minute of the European game. Big Ange, however, downplayed the fears of a potential injury, explaining it was nothing more than cramps.
Thus, it is good to know that the teenager’s injury isn’t serious as Big Ange will want to continue handing the midfielder more game time in the coming weeks.
