Spurs dumped from Europa League after remarkable Dinamo Zagreb comeback

Tottenham Hotspur were eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday. Dinamo Zagreb erased a two-goal deficit from the first leg in 90 minutes before wrapping up an improbable 3-2 aggregate victory in extra time.

Mislav Orsic was the hero, scoring each of his team's goals with a hat-trick of immense quality. His first effort was a precise, swerving shot from distance; his 82nd-minute equalizer was smashed into the top corner from near the penalty spot; he beat four Spurs players before netting from 20 yards for his third.

Dinamo defended for their lives to see out the result, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic scrambling across his goal to make a particularly impressive save to deny Harry Kane.

It's the first time Dinamo have reached the quarterfinals of a continental competition since they lost to Schalke in the last eight of the 1969-70 European Cup Winners' Cup. The club completed the feat in their first match since their head coach resigned after being handed a prison sentence of almost five years for tax evasion and fraud.

Following a morale-boosting run of five straight wins, Tottenham have lost a north London derby and been dumped from European competition in a span of four days. Their season is fading away. They occupy eighth place in the Premier League table - six points adrift of Chelsea in fourth.

Jose Mourinho's side does still have a shot of silverware in the League Cup final on April 25. However, many onlookers are writing off their chances in that showpiece as they face Pep Guardiola's dominant Manchester City outfit.

"They left sweat, energy, blood. In the end they left even tears of happiness. Very humble and committed. I have to praise them," Mourinho said of Dinamo postmatch, according to BBC Sport.

"On the other side, my team. I repeat, my team. They didn't look like it was playing an important match. If for any one of them it is not important, for me it is."