Son helps Spurs hold off Hoffenheim in Europa League

Son Heung-min helped Tottenham gain some respite from their Premier League woes on Thursday with a double in a 3-2 Europa League win at Hoffenheim to put them on course for the knockout rounds.

Goals from Son and James Maddison lifted Spurs up to provisional fourth in the revamped league phase of European club football’s second-tier competition ahead of the night’s later games.

It also lifted some of the heat off manager Ange Postecoglou with his injury-ravaged team arriving in Germany after losing seven of their last Premier League games.

Postecoglou had pledged to win silverware for the first time for the London side since 2008 in his second season as boss.

With Spurs struggling in 15th behind Liverpool at home that leaves the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup to fulfil his promise.

A win against Swedish outfit Elfsborg in their closing league phase game at home next week will give them an automatic ticket to the next round as one of the top eight finishers.

“I told them to enjoy it,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports.

“Winning away in Europe, it’s a significant victory for us and gives us a good foothold to get into those top eight spots which will give us a week off,” the Australian added.

They charged out of the stalls with Maddison receiving a pinpoint pass from Pedro Porro to fire the ball past keeper Oliver Baumann and into the roof of the net to give Spurs the perfect start after just four minutes.

Richarlison, making only his second start of the campaign, could have doubled the advantage but the Brazilian’s shot went straight to Baumann.

Attacking at will Spurs were looking to put the game to bed against their out of sorts German hosts.

And on 22 minutes Maddison turned provider to set up Son whose shot deflected off a