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Goalkeeper error gives Spurs narrow win over Villareal
Thomas Frank's first Champions League match in charge of Tottenham ended in a narrow victory over Villarreal.
In BBC Sport's Champions League analysis, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink discussed the amount of options Spurs have in their squad and the solidity that brings compared to last season.
Tottenham a 'totally different team' from last season - Hasselbaink
Liverpool are prepared to offer 50m euros (£43.35m) for 26-year-old Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, although Tottenham are also interested in the Uruguay international. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Bardi
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesEveryone turned up in their Sunday best. The big time, the Champions League, rolled back in after a two-year break.
The stadium looked the part; the light show and the tifo looked on point. We were ready for the gala, but as the game dragged on, it felt like we had slipped back into our Europa League loungewear.
When we dreamed of our return to the big time, to be fair, it wasn't the Yellow Submarine of Villarreal we hoped to see docked at White Hart Lane. It was a super yacht, an Old Lady, or a nation-state-backed show pony, but you can only play - and ultimately beat - what the draw puts in front of you.
On the long walk back to Tottenham Hale, the mood of the crowd was positive. The general vibe was happy. We had pocketed three points and witnessed another clean sheet, something that used to be a rarity in these parts.
Xavi Simons, although a work in progress, showed touches of class and skill, and we even got a glimpse of Randal Kolo Muani. However, even the most ardent fan won't be rushing for a re-watch. It is a game destined to be filed away and only thought about again if we make it to the final as part of our journey to glory montage.
Villarreal's attitude from the first minute was to not lose the game - something they had clearly not told their keeper. But despite being one down, their ambition never changed. As the game wore on, it was nerves more than skill that threatened to be our undoing, but some smart changes killed off any hopes Villarreal had of torpedoing our big occasion.
Four wins from five competitive games is a very strong start for Thomas Frank, but set-pieces and gaffes aside, goals and goalscoring opportunities remain rare.
In the coming weeks, it will be nice to see Spurs start opening up teams regularly - but until then, it is comforting to know that even when we play OK we are still more than good enough to beat most teams.
We have improved a lot, but there is still more to be done. You can't always rely on scoring goals without taking shots.
Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch, external
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThomas Frank's Champions League management record reads: one game, one win.
This landmark occasion for the Dane, who was appointed Tottenham's new head coach earlier summer, ended with the result – if not performance – he craved.
But despite the victory, the 51-year-old is far too intelligent not to glean learnings from his debut in Europe's premier club competition.
Three points are three points, of course. When all is said and done, that's all that really matters.
But Spurs let Villarreal off the hook. Having scored, courtesy of goalkeeper Luiz Junior's horrendous mistake inside the opening five minutes, Tottenham should really have gone for the jugular.
Instead, they appeared too tentative to take the bull by the horns, failing to really kill off their Spanish opponents with the initiative in their hands.
"Offensively, we struggled to create," admitted Frank.
"But it's a big win. In any competition to get a win and a good start [is important]. Champions League is unbelievably tough. They are a good team we faced and we managed to get out of a very tough game as winners.
"To do that together is good - it builds an extra foundation."
Tottenham had one shot on target the entire night. Villarreal, particularly in the second half, threatened to make Spurs pay for their lack of potency, but in the end failed to deliver an equaliser.
Such is the ruthless nature of this competition, next time Tottenham may not be so fortunate - yet this victory will leave them in good stead for what is on the horizon in this competition.
Midfielder Lucas Bergvall, in particular, will benefit from the experience of the encounter against the La Liga side.
Like his manager, Bergvall was making his Champions League debut - not that you would have known it by the maturity of his performance.
The Swede was arguably the pick of Tottenham's players. At just 19, Bergvall is already emerging as an important player for Frank - his performance against Villarreal the latest in a growing catalogue of impressive displays.
It will be interesting to see how Frank approaches Bergvall in terms of his playing time over the coming months.
The talent is unquestionable, but will he need an element of protection from the rigours of three matches in a week?
"It's a dream since I was a young kid," said Bergvall after his Champions League bow.
"Unbelievable feeling - at home and to get three points as well. Amazing."
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Tottenham's performance in their win over Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Here are some of your comments:
Andy: The game showed us once again that we have a top-class defence. All our good football, though, happens in our own half. When we get into the last third our football lets us down. It was only Kudus who was doing anything purposeful up front. The Villarreal game showed how badly we miss Maddison - a playmaker who sees the bigger picture with his link-up play, probing defences with his passing.
Mark: Thank god for own goals because we were never going to score in this one! An average performance at best, but they say great teams find a way to get results. Keeping clean sheets will certainly help that and those, as Spurs fans, are not something we are used to!
Andrew: Simons and Van de Ven should have been red carded. Spurs were poor but so was the referee.
Eddie: We started well, which makes a change, but weren't at our attacking best at all. Maybe we were a shade lucky to get all three points but I honestly can't recall a Vicario save. However, it still looks a lot more like grown-up football than most of the past couple of seasons. Onwards.
Terry: How you can play that badly and still win? Some of the worst passing I've seen from Spurs in a long time. Thank goodness for the opposition goalkeeper. I certainly hope we get a lot better. Fingers crossed.
Eric: No real pattern up front. Bergvall was our most dangerous attacking player. Simons didn't take on or beat a single defender and the service to Richarlison was almost non existent. We were lucky they gave us a goal!
Anff: I was delighted with that performance. For all the negative commentary, we controlled the game and never looked like conceding. We NEED to build this team around Bergvall, Kudus, Simons and Palhinha.
Image source, PA MediaTottenham boss Thomas Frank, speaking after Tuesday's 1-0 win against Villarreal in the Champions League:
"Doing the tough job, that gives you a top opportunity to win games and we have proven that so far.
"I thought it was a big win. In any competition it's good to get three points and get a good start. I'm happy with that.
"I'm happy with the clean sheet and happy with the defensive side of the game. I think we were extremely good and limited Villarreal to very little throughout the game.
"Obviously offensively we struggled on the day to create something against a good team. It was a very even game that we edged in the end.
"What I like is that our foundation is strong. Now we are four games won, three in the Premier League and one in the Champions League, and we have four clean sheets which is massive."
Did you know?
Luiz Junior's own goal after just three minutes and eight seconds was Tottenham's earliest ever goal in a Champions League match.
There was just one shot in target in this match - coming from Pape Matar Sarr for in the 30th minute. It's just the second Champions League match involving a Premier League or LaLiga side on record to have one or fewer attempts on target, after Chelsea 0-0 Sparta Prague in November 2003 (1).
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham defender Micky van de Ven, speaking to Amazon Prime after Spurs' 1-0 win against Villarreal: "I think it was a tough one, not an easy one. We didn't play well but it was an important one.
"We had a really good start and of course you want to build on that, but Villarreal are a really difficult team to play against. Every time on the counter attack, they keep the strikers forward, they're really dangerous.
"Of course you want to build on the 1-0 at the start of the game but at the end we got the three points and that's the most important."
On his foul late in the game which earned him a yellow card: "Of course, you never know what the referee is going to do in that moment. I think because I went for the ball it's not a red card. I haven't seen it back properly so I can't say what I think at the moment."
Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall added: "It was really tough. Villarreal did a great performance but a 1-0 win at home is amazing.
"We talk a lot about 'clean sheet mentality' and they did not have a shot on target, so we did a really good job."
Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesThis 1-0 win against Villarreal was the result Tottenham wanted as they made their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022-23 season, but it was far from a perfect performance.
Luiz Junior's unfortunate mistake got the home crowd going and could have been the platform for Tottenham to go on and put in a commanding performance, but that failed to materialise as they largely laboured to the win.
Tottenham's start this season has been impressive, with eye-catching wins against West Ham and Manchester City but there was the concerning display in the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.
There were more similarities in this game to the performance against the Cherries, with some poor passages of play and sloppy passes whenever they did break forward.
Despite that, their defending was resolute with Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur making some crucial tackles, particularly in the second half when Villarreal pushed for an equaliser.
The win means Tottenham are now unbeaten in their past 21 home games in Uefa competitions.
Image source, PA MediaFormer Premier League striker Chris Sutton, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after Tottenham's Champions League win against Villarreal:
"It's all about the three points for Tottenham. It certainly wasn't pretty but they got the job done.
"It was a horrendous own goal from Luiz Junior early on. Tottenham weren't fluent, in the second half Villarreal had the better of the game.
"It's Thomas Frank's first game in the Champions League as a manager and it's a big win for him, a big win for Tottenham and they move on."
Tottenham Hotspur's Champions League campaign began with a narrow home win against Spanish side Villarreal.
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
Get in touch with your views here
Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies
Xavi Simons will make his home debut for Tottenham in their Champions League opener against Villarreal.
In total there are two changes for Spurs, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison coming into the side.
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons.
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Danso, Joao Palhinha, Udogie, Gray, Johnson, Odobert, Davies, Kolo Muani, Scarlett, Byfield.
Ex-Tottenham defender Juan Foyth starts for - and captains - Villarreal.
Tajon Buchanan, who has scored three La Liga goals this season, is also in the first XI for the visitors.
Villarreal XI: Luiz Junior, Mourino, Foyth, Renato Veiga, Cardona, Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Pepe, Perez, Mikautadze.
Subs: Conde, Tenas, Altimira, Rafa Marín, Solomon, Parejo, Akhomach, Partey, Moleiro, Oluwaseyi, Pedraza, Navarro.
There are six games in the Champions League on Tuesday, two of them involving Premier League teams, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Athletic Bilbao v Arsenal (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
PSV Eindhoven v Union Saint-Gilloise (17:45)
Benfica v Qarabag
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Marseille
Tottenham v Villarreal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated
Follow all of the action and reaction here
You can also listen to today's Radio 5 Live Champions League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Athletic Bilbao v Arsenal" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Villarreal".
There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.
Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesIt has been 923 days since Tottenham last played in a Champions League game - a meek goalless draw against AC Milan which resulted in a 1-0 aggregate defeat during the final few weeks of Antonio Conte's reign.
Spurs' squad has been drastically overhauled during the intervening two and a half years, with the club spending more than £300m on transfers under Ange Postecoglou and successor Thomas Frank.
Of the 11 players who began against Milan in 2023, only Cristian Romero - who was sent off against the Italians - is likely to start against Villarreal.
Ben Davies is still at the club but is yet to play this season, while Dejan Kulusevski is recovering from a long-term knee injury.
Meanwhile, players such as Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence, Guglielmo Vicario, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr could all make their Champions League debuts this evening.
Tottenham's starting XI v AC Milan on 8 March, 2003: Forster; Romero, Lenglet, Davies; Emerson Royal, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Kulusevski, Son; Kane.
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall is looking forward to Spurs' return to the Champions League on Tuesday when Tottenham face Spanish side Villarreal.
It is a new challenge for the 19-year-old Swede, who is yet to play in the tournament.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London, he said: "We have a great squad, a great team, great coaches, so I think we just need to keep going.
"We had a good start this season, with three wins and one loss. So we just need to keep going with the Champions League game now on Tuesday.
"I just want to keep going, keep wanting more, never happy. I just want to develop and get it better every day.
"It's a dream come true. Ever since I've been young, all I wanted to do was play in the Champions League so we just want to get out there and win games."
Ali Speechly
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesThey say you should not fall in love with a loan player.
Too late. I am already head over heels for Joao Palhinha.
Criticised by some fans for not progressing the ball enough, Palhinha demonstrates a different, but equally integral skill set.
Indeed, without the Portugal international's impressive ability to disrupt the opposition and confidently regain possession, Spurs would not have as many opportunities to move the ball up the pitch - and certainly nowhere near the number they had against West Ham on Saturday.
Palhinha won more duels (10) and made more tackles (five) than any other player against the Hammers.
What gives Palhinha the edge over his opponents is his strong ability to read the game and correctly predict the movement of others. Footballing intelligence, if you like.
His smart positioning puts him in the right place at the right time, and his calm and careful approach means he makes skilful interceptions - unlike the one he was on the receiving end of from Tomas Soucek.
It is important to remember that positive play looks different depending on your role and responsibilities. Palhinha may not play 40-yard diagonal defence-splitting passes, but he will successfully regain possession and redistribute to a team-mate who can.
He will block and redirect the opposition, limiting their options and protecting the defenders behind him, significantly increasing his team's chances of keeping a clean sheet.
He will disrupt play so expertly and with such seeming effortlessness, that his importance in the team could go unnoticed by some.
Much has been made of our attacking options this season, and although Palhinha is not shy in front of goal - as he proved against Manchester City - his defensive attributes are arguably what make him the sort of player we have been missing the most.
Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external
Image source, Getty Images
Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.
Harry asked: I'm not a Tottenham fan but their Champions League run is something which I am excited to see given how they gained entry. How do you rate their chances of getting through the league stages? Do you think the new leadership and signings are ready?
Phil answered: If I was a Spurs fan, I would be very excited by new manager Thomas Frank and the early signs have been very promising, apart from the home loss to Bournemouth.
They have some very tough games, especially a trip to holders Paris St-Germain, but they played well against them in the Super Cup final so there should be no fear.
I'll say definitely play-off at the very least.
Follow Phil's Q&A and the rest of the day's football news on our daily live page
Image source, Getty ImagesOpta's supercomputer has ranked Tottenham as the 13th-most likely team to win this season's Champions League.
The model estimates the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) by using betting market odds and Opta power rankings. Both these areas are based on historical and recent team performances and the computer runs 10,000 simulations to create its predictions.
Image source, OptaThe Europa League winners win the Champions League trophy in just 1.1% of simulations.
Despite having to face an away trip to last season's champions Paris St-Germain in the league phase, Spurs have been given the fourth-most favourable draw according to Opta's rankings.
If they reach the knockout phases, the supercomputer gives Thomas Frank's side a 22.9% chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
They go on to reach the semi-final in 8.5% of simulations and the final in 2.8%.
Having sacked Ange Postecoglou after their European success in May, it means new boss Thomas Frank manages in Europe's top club competition for the first time in his career.
