Tottenham 2-2 AS Roma (November 28, 2024) Match analysis

LONDON – Tottenham’s hopes of qualifying for the last 16 of the Europa League were dampened on Thursday as Mats Hummels’ 91st-minute goal for Roma earned Claudio Ranieri’s side a point in an entertaining contest in north London.

Son Heung-Min’s penalty and Brennan Johnson’s fine finish appeared to be enough to win over the visitors, who had three goals ruled out for offside, but the veteran defender’s late equalizer gave Roma a deserved point.

That leaves Spurs in ninth place in the Europa League table, outside the automatic qualification places for the round of 16, while Roma are in 21st and likely waiting for a place in the playoff round in February.

Spurs got off to the perfect start when Son sent Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar the wrong way from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of the game. Referee Glenn Nyberg had awarded the penalty after VAR recommended a field check for Hummels’ foul on Pape Matar Sarr when the midfielder shot into the box.

The away team equalized in the 20th minute when defender Evan Ndicka rose highest in the box and headed Paulo Dybala’s free kick past Fraser Forster.

Stephan El Shaarawy thought he had given Roma the lead just two minutes later, but his beautiful volley was ruled out after VAR intervened and flagged an offside position in the build-up.

It proved to be a crucial moment in the game as Spurs restored their lead ten minutes later when Johnson swept Dejan Kulusevski’s low cross from the left into the net for a real goal.

Ange Postecoglou’s side should have been 3-1 up at half-time when Kulusevski once again broke through Roma’s defense and saw a shot across goal bounce off the post to the feet of a free-standing Son, only for the Spurs captain to reach Inexplicably shot over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

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Despite Dybala’s half-time substitution, Roma continued to pose an attacking threat, with two goals ruled out for offside, with new signing Artem Dovbyk proving too eager to run beyond Spurs’ backline on both occasions.

In the intense second half there were repeated opportunities on both sides. Angelino’s volley at the back post was deflected onto the Spurs crossbar by Pedro Porro, minutes before the Spurs right-back fired a free-kick over the woodwork at the opposite end.

Manu Koné was then the last Roma player to be inches away from equalizing when his low shot rolled past the near post in the 67th minute and Forster was beaten.

The subsequent introduction of James Maddison seemed to give Spurs more control in the middle of the pitch and the home team regained momentum as a result.

The number of shots continued to rise and Dominic Solanke hit the crossbar with the home side’s 21st shot in the 81st minute as the game seemed to be heading towards a home win.

Until Hummels made up for the penalty he had conceded in the early stages of the game with his final intervention.

He was in the right place at the right time to deflect Angelino’s powerful low cross into the net from point-blank range, much to the delight of the traveling fans who saw their team take a dramatic and deserved point after what had been a tumultuous start to the election campaign, in which two managers have already been fired.

Spurs travel to Glasgow to face Rangers in their next Europa League game on December 12, while Roma host Braga at the Olimpico.