AfriPulse
September 17, (THEWILL) — Tottenham Hotspur earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal in their UEFA Champions League encounter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though the match lacked quality throughout. The decisive moment came just four minutes into the game when Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior made a shocking error, somehow managing to bundle a routine Lucas Bergvall cross into his own net.
The early goal marked an ideal beginning for Thomas Frank in his first UCL match in charge. However, Spurs could not capitalise on this fortunate start, failing to build any meaningful momentum during a disappointing display. The home side struggled to create clear opportunities despite their early advantage.
Villarreal entered the contest with a poor record against English opposition, having failed to beat any English team in their previous 14 UCL attempts. The Spanish side emerged from the break looking more dangerous but remarkably failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90-minute contest.
The visitors’ closest opportunity arrived in the 84th minute when Micky van de Ven fouled new signing Georges Mikautadze on the edge of the penalty area. Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe stepped up to take the resulting free-kick but sent his effort wide of Guglielmo Vicario’s goal, missing a golden chance to level the score.
The match was a demonstration of the lack of cutting-edge quality in both teams, with Tottenham grateful for their early stroke of fortune. Van de Ven avoided further embarrassment thanks to Pepe’s wayward effort, allowing Spurs to claim three points from an underwhelming European fixture.
Author Profile
Jude Obafemi, THEWILL
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
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