Ange Postecoglou’s high wire act goes to Germany with the Tottenham boss cursing his fortune.

His Tottenham team are alive in this quarter-final tie against Eintracht Frankfurt with tantalising glimpses they might be close to finding their best rhythm.

But they might have had more reward for their efforts.

Spurs ran into a goalkeeper in top form, producing a series of saves to prevent a second goal after Pedro Porro rescued them from an awful start, going behind inside six minutes.

‘I’m a little frustrated by result but the performance was really good,’ said Postecoglou. ‘We conceded early, which is not ideal but response good, we stayed in control and scored a good equaliser.

Ange Postecoglou’s high wire act will go to Frankfurt after a 1-1 draw in the first leg

Porro’s wonderful finish earned Spurs a draw to take to Germany for the second leg

Pedro Porro kept Tottenham’s hopes alive with an equalising goal in the first half

Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring after just six minutes with a precise curling shot

‘Second half, we put them under pressure and the boys did everything right, hit the bar and the ‘keeper pulled off some amazing saves.

‘I’m resigned to the fact the football Gods have eyes elsewhere this year. They’re busy with other clubs and other managers, whatever we get we will have to get it without them this year.’

Eintracht Frankfurt took the lead, punishing Tottenham in classic style on the turnover.

James Maddison was easily dispossessed by Ellyes Skhiri who made a pass swiftly into the space created by Porro’s eagerness to get forward from full back.

Hugo Ekitike, their centre forward and biggest threat, drifted wide into that area to collect the pass. Porro raced back into position, but Ekitike was on the move, jinking inside and taking aim from 20 yards.

His low curling shot was precise, inside the post, out of the reach of Guglielmo Vicario for his 20th goal of the season.

Tottenham’s responded well. Dominic Solanke grew into the game, holding up the ball and spinning into the channels to spark fluent little patterns in the final third, coaxing Maddison on to create in more dangerous areas.

One Solanke cross seemed destined for Brennan Johnson at the back post until Eintracht left back Arthur Theate chased back and headed clear.

Porro and James Maddison, culpable in the opening goal, combined for the equaliser

Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham Hotspur competes for the ball with Nathaniel Brown of Frankfurt

Porro levelled in the 26th minute, a delightful finish on the end of a decisive move by the home side. Heung-min Son picked out another of those runs by Solanke who held off a challenge and found Maddison in support.

Maddison sidestepped his man inside the penalty area and cut the ball back low from the bye line to Porro, arriving six yards and scoring with an elaborate flick of his left boot to deflect the ball behind his right leg and into the net.

The same two Spurs players culpable in the opening goal had combined for the equaliser and Postecoglou let out a cry of relief as he swung a fist through the air and spun on a heel.

Spurs survived a scare just before the interval, when Vicario saved from Ekitike, but they dominated the second half, and the mood soared after Bergvall zipped through a crowd in midfield and unleashed a sweet strike, which beat goalkeeper Kaua Santos and crashed against the goal frame on the angle.

Back-up ‘keeper Santos, deputising for injured number one Kevin Trapp, made fines saves to deny Son and then Maddison before Rodrigo Bentancur struck the woodwork again.

Bentancur headed one corner against the bar and another straight at Santos.

Goalkeeper Santos made another fine save from Micky van de Ven second before the end

Johnson fired over another chance, just the sort he loves, on the run from the left to connect with a low cross from substitute Djed Spence, before Santos made his final save of the night to foil Micky van de Ven.

The goalkeeper emerged the hero of a breathless finish to a tie delicately poised.

Spurs can be encouraged but must improve on previous away form in the competition. They have won two and lost two of five on the road in Europe and can expect a hostile atmosphere in Frankfurt.

The vital thing is they are still fighting on for a place in the semi-finals against Lazio or Bodo/Glimt, who lead 2-0 after the first leg in Norway.

‘Exactly how we imagined it,’ said Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller. ‘We knew it was an enormous match.

‘We had a great start to the game then suddenly became too passive. Maybe we sat back on our laurels but we’re happy with how it went. We laid a good base for the return leg at home, with our fantastic fans. European nights are special in Frankfurt.’