London: After Tottenham Hotspur’s shocking 0-1 defeat against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the Europa League, head coach Ange Postecoglou admitted his side was not close to the levels they need to be to progress in the competition. An own goal by Lucas Bergvall separated the sides at the end of 90 minutes, with the second leg slated to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Thursday. “I don’t think last night was a matter of individuals. I thought that as a collective, we just weren’t anywhere near the levels we had to be. It’s tough playing away in Europe, we knew that.
“The crowd created a really good atmosphere for the home side; they got the goal, which gave them some momentum,” said Ange in a press conference.
With the North London club not in the running for the Premier League season, having fallen down to 13th place in the league table with 11 games remaining in the season, and having been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions, the Europa League remains the side’s only hope for silverware, and to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. Agencies
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