5 players who will decide Tottenham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg | OneFootball

Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt played out a 1-1 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week, so it is all on the line for Spurs and the Eagles this Thursday at the Deutsche Bank Park. And it's anyone's guess as to who will win.

Here are five key players that will decide the outcome of the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals.

Tottenham CB Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven has a wealth of experience going up against Eintracht Frankfurt, as he was one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg before making the leap to join Tottenham in the 2023 summer transfer window.

A rousing success since joining the North London giants, Van de Ven has been blighted by injury this season, but there is no doubting his defensive prowess and speed when healthy. Van de Ven has been Spurs main shutdown center back this season when available, and he could be the most important player in the effort to stop Hugo Ekitike after two poor performances from Cristian Romero.

Eintracht Frankfurt LB Arthur Theate

Belgian international Arthur Theate has improved considerably this season in the Bundesliga after showing some promise for his national team at the European Championship but largely looking overmatched. Now, Theate is putting it together in Frankfurt with plenty of heart and soul in his performances, putting his body on the line to make key blocks.

Theate is a scrappy player who can start on the outside or inside for Frankfurt, and the home side will need some defensive heroics and a strong reading of the game from the scrappy starter. His willingness to fight in 50/50s will be particularly key to watch if he goes up against Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham CM James Maddison

There's a strong case to be made that James Maddison has been the best player on Tottenham this season, and the veteran playmaker has 20 goal contributions this season between the Premier League and Europa League with 1.8 key passes and 2.3 fouls drawn per game in European competition.

Tottenham need Maddison to step up even more and really grab the bull by the horns on Thursday night. Maddison has to be the most active player on the pitch, progressing play and creating at least three chances that lead to real shots on goal for this team. There is a lot riding on Maddison's performance, simply because nobody else on Tottenham can provide that out-of-nowhere technical quality in the final third that he can.

Eintracht Frankfurt ST Hugo Ekitike

Speaking of clear quality in the final third, Hugo Ekitike is by far and away the key man to watch on Eintracht Frankfurt, and he proved it last week by providing the team's only goal in the 1-1 draw. Ekitike is a smooth customer at the striker position who effortlessly glides past defenders and has already developed a keen sense of positioning off the ball.

Tottenham could not handle him in the first leg, and if they aren't careful, he will boss them again in leg two in front of his own fans. Ekitike is a good finisher and arguably just as good creatively, which brings Eintracht's underrated supporting cast into the game.

Tottenham RB Pedro Porro

It was Pedro Porro who provided a moment of brilliance in front of goal, latching onto a great assist from James Maddison, to provide Tottenham with the equalizer they so desperately needed in the first leg.

Porro is one of the best right backs in European football, but he could stand to be more consistent. He will have the most important matchup for Tottenham on Thursday, because the right winger will need his support - and Porro has more technical quality on both ends of the pitch than the Eintracht winger and fullback combo he'll be going up against.

In a lot of ways, Porro is a difference-maker for Tottenham because he's usually more skilled than the players matched up against him. Porro has to make that difference count this week, otherwise Tottenham will be sitting at home in the Europa League semifinals.