Wilson Odobert brace helps Spurs overcome AZ Alkmaar in Europa League last 16

A brace by Wilson Odobert fired Tottenham into the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win over AZ Alkmaar to keep their season alive.

The pressure was on Spurs and Ange Postecoglou after a 1-0 loss in the last-16 first leg, but the Australian’s big call to start Odobert paid off with the 20-year-old French attacker netting in each half for his first goals for the club.

Tottenham vice-captain James Maddison, on the day before Thomas Tuchel names his first England squad, also struck at the start of the second half in a fine display to lift the gloom in N17.

Defeat would have all but ended Spurs’ campaign with nine weeks of the season still to go after a difficult winter period where they were hampered by injuries, but this 3-1 success sets up a last-eight tie with Eintracht Frankfurt next month.

A lacklustre display in Alkmaar last Thursday meant Spurs faced an uphill battle, but Postecoglou was able to start key duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero together for the first time since December 8.

Romero produced an error-strewn display on his comeback against Bournemouth on Sunday but needed only 17 minutes to make his mark here.

Seconds after Romero had slid in to win the ball from David Moller Wolfe, he screamed in the face of former team-mate Troy Parrott after the AZ forward went down.

Tottenham had dominated possession without being able to create a clear-cut chance by this point, but with an expectant home crowd still behind the team, they broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.

It was a gift from AZ as Son Heung-min blocked Wouter Goes’ attempted clearance and the ball rolled perfectly for Dominic Solanke, who calmly teed up Odobert to curl home from 12 yards.

Postecoglou let out a small clenched