In the historic 2023 Europa League final, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur won 1-0 against Manchester United, securing their first trophy in 17 years and a spot in next season's Champions League. Despite Spurs' domestic struggles and the possibility of Postecoglou's departure, they defied expectations by adopting a defensive strategy, a departure from their usual high-pressing style. Tottenham had just 27.7% possession - the lowest figure recorded by Opta in a major European final since 2009-10, while completing 115 passes - also a record low. The winning goal came from Brennan Johnson, and Spurs defensively held their ground, with key contributions from Micky van de Ven and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who made a crucial save from Luke Shaw late in the game. Postecoglou admitted that knockout football requires a different approach, and his decision to change tactics was met with praise from former players.
Source: BBC Sports Football
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