Pedro Porro produced a solid performance for Tottenham vs Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals
Tottenham Hotspur looked back to their best in their Europa League first-leg quarter-final encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt, with Pedro Porro putting in an especially impressive display.
There were some concerns heading into the game over how an inconsistent Spurs side would fare against a well-drilled Eintracht Frankfurt side, who are third in the Bundesliga table. But credit to Ange Postecoglou’s side for not only dealing with them well but dominating the game for large parts. The players truly felt hard done by the 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.
The Lilywhites had more than enough chances to win the first leg. Hugo Ekitike’s strike in the sixth minute silenced the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful. However, the home side equalised smartly via Pedro Porro, whose instinctive backheel from James Maddison’s cutback in the 26th minute gave the crowd their voices again.
Ange’s decision to drop Djed Spence and start Porro at right-back was a strange one and didn’t go down well in some quarters of the fanbase. While Porro and his teammates have done well going forward, the defensive fragility remained a constant issue and the source of their downfall.
The Spanish right-back completed 37 out of 52 passes with 71% passing accuracy for Tottenham against Frankfurt. He created two chances, along with two accurate crosses and as many accurate long balls, while having 89 touches on the ball. Moreover, the 25-year-old won five out of 13 duels while committing two fouls and earning two fouls as well.
Porro made two out of two tackles, showcasing great ball-winning ability. He made five clearances, one block, one interception, two recoveries and 11 defensive actions. The Don Benito-born star scored a clever goal to cancel out Ekitike’s opener, whilst also delivering 12 passes in the final third.
Furthermore, the Spurs defender had two touches in the opposition box, demonstrating his desire to bomb forward and make things happen for his team. (Stats courtesy: FotMob)
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It was a satisfying, all-round performance from Porro in a Tottenham shirt after a very long time. The Spain international has lost his place as the first-choice right-back to Spence since the turn of the year, but this performance against Frankfurt should give Postecoglou a good headache heading into the second leg in Germany and the remaining Premier League games.
Porro will be hoping to add more consistency to his game, which will be crucial for Ange’s side hoping to end the season on a high by lifting the European trophy.
