Defence key for Spurs against Villarreal

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Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Villarreal

Thomas Frank marked his Champions League bow with a win as Tottenham profited from a gift of a goal by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

Author | Greg S

Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Super News Football | Champions League | Tottenham Hotspur v Villarreal | Pre match display
Spurs pre match display

Just four minutes in, Junior inexplicably spilled Lucas Bergvall’s cross into his own net, handing Spurs the perfect start in north London.

It was a dream opening for Frank, managing in Europe’s premier competition for the first time since leaving Brentford, though his side were made to sweat before the interval. Micky van de Ven produced a vital block to deny former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé, while Tajon Buchanan squandered a clear chance when through on goal.

Junior atoned in part with a sharp save from Pape Matar Sarr midway through the first half, keeping Villarreal in the contest.

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The visitors pressed harder after the restart, but Tottenham’s back line held firm. Richarlison spurned a headed chance that could have settled the game, though in the end Spurs’ early fortune proved enough.

Spurs were sloppy, but their defence was outstanding again

Their start to the season has been strong, with impressive victories over West Ham and Manchester City, though a flat 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth had already raised some concerns. This display carried echoes of that loss, with careless passing and wasteful play whenever they broke forward.

Super News Football | Champions League | Tottenham Hotspur v Villarreal | Corner kick

What Tottenham lacked in fluency, they made up for in defensive resilience. Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur stood out with key interventions, especially as Villarreal pressed for an equaliser after the break.

Victory extends Spurs’ unbeaten run at home in European competition to 21 matches, even if this was a night more defined by grit than style.

Interesting stats

Luiz Junior’s own goal, timed at three minutes and eight seconds, was the quickest Tottenham have ever scored in a Champions League fixture.

Remarkably, the game produced only a single effort on target, when Pape Matar Sarr tested the Villarreal keeper in the 30th minute. It is only the second Champions League match on record involving a Premier League or La Liga side to feature one or fewer shots on target, the other being Chelsea’s goalless draw with Sparta Prague in November 2003.

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