Tottenham Dominates Europa League: Brennan Johnson Shines in 2-1 Victory Over Ferencvaros Without Son Heung-min

[골닷컴] Reporter Lee Jeong-bin = Tottenham, without Son Heung-min, won 5 official matches in a row. Brennan Johnson scored again this time, giving Tottenham victory.

Tottenham won 2-1 in the second round of the 2024-25 Europa League (UEL) season held at the Groupama Arena in Budapest, Hungary at 1:45 a.m. on the 4th (Korean time). In a game in which young players were actively used, Fape Matar Sarr and Johnson added to the victory by scoring one goal each.

Winners Tottenham formed the main group with Lazio, Olympique Lyonnais, Basel, and Anderlecht with two consecutive wins in the UEL. Tottenham (+4), with 6 points, was ranked 3rd in goal difference after Lazio (+6) and Olympique Lyonnais (+5). The best 8 teams out of 36 teams at UEL, whose format has changed from this season, will advance immediately to the round of 16, while the other 8 spots will be decided by a playoff between 24 teams from 9th place.

On this day, Tottenham went with a 4-3-3 formation. Guglielmo Vicario wears the gloves. Ben Davis, Archie Gray, Christian Romero, and Pedro Foro led the defense. Lucas Beribal, Yves Bissouma and Fape Matar Sarr provided offense and defense in midfield. Timo Werner, William Rankshire, and Mikey Moore formed an attacking triangle.

In the 16th minute of the first half, Ferencvaros hit the net with Berger’s header, but the score was canceled due to offside. In the 19th minute of the first half, Berger tried to score again inside the box, but Tottenham overcame the crisis thanks to a save by goalkeeper Vicario. In the 23rd minute of the first half, a mixed situation occurred in the box of the Ferencvaros camp, and Sar, taking the opportunity, took the first goal.

In the 33rd minute of the first half, Foro patiently held the ball and then attempted a shot that hit the far post. Although they were embarrassed by the opposition’s offense at the start of the game, Tottenham managed to change the mood and ended the first half by scoring first.

In the 3rd minute of the second half, Saldana’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Vicario with his body. In the 14th minute of the second half, Rankshire volleyed a cross from the right, but the shot went over the goal. Tottenham launched an attack in the 19th minute of the second half, and Moore delivered an accurate pass to Werner on the other side, but Werner’s effort went into the side netting.

In the 20th minute of the second half, Tottenham removed Beribal, Werner, and Rankscher and added Maddison, Johnson and Kulusevski. In the 34th minute of the second half, the ball went through Kulusevski and Gray and made its way to Johnson, and the shot hit the right foot that he tried without stopping on the top corner of the goal. Ferencvaros launched an attack in the 38th minute of the second half, and Cadi’s head fell into the arms of goalkeeper Vicario.

In the 41st minute of the second half, Johnson ended the ball connected with Madison with a shot on the left foot, widening the gap further. In the 45th minute of the second half, Berger scored a moving goal and Ferencvaros started a late run. However, Tottenham added 3 points without conceding a goal.

Son Heung-min, who suffered a thigh injury in the match against Karabakh in the first round of the UEL League Stage, was also ruled out of this match. Manager Angie Postekoglou left Son Heung-min out of the away list so he could rest comfortably in London. Johnson completely filled the void left by Son Heung-min. Johnson also hit the net against Ferencvaros, scoring in five consecutive official matches.

Johnson, who replaced Werner in the 20th minute of the second half, left a good impression in a short time. In the 35th minute of the second half, a shot with his right foot hit the goal post, and in the 41st minute of the second half, after receiving a pass from Madison, he scored an extra point with a precise shot on the left leg This goal became the winning goal when Tottenham conceded a late goal. Football statistics media ‘Foot Mob’ gave Johnson, who played as a substitute, a rating of 8.

Tottenham, who continued their winning streak even without Son Heung-min, will return to the league and face Brighton. Before the 7th round match against Brighton on the 7th, there was talk that Son Heung-min could return that day. However, he is still improving his physical condition, so it seems that it is difficult for him to play as a starter.