Tottenham Hotspur secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Villarreal in their opening match of the Champions League campaign at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The victory, however, was far from a classic, with an early own goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
The decisive moment arrived early in the fourth minute when Lucas Bergvall, making his Champions League debut, made an immediate impact. Bergvall raced onto a pass from Pedro Porro down the right wing and looked to cross for Richarlison in the box. Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Júnior attempted to claim the cross but inadvertently bundled it into his own net, giving Tottenham the lead.
Villarreal sought an immediate response, with Nicolas Pépé, formerly of Arsenal, proving a constant threat. Pépé cut inside and curled a shot just past the post. He later capitalized on a poor clearance from Tottenham but Tajon Buchanan skewed his shot wide. Tottenham thought they had a chance to double their lead before halftime when Richarlison was brought down in the box, but a VAR review denied the penalty.
The second half saw Villarreal emerge as the more dangerous side, creating better chances early on. Juan Foyth headed wide, and Pépé flashed another shot narrowly past the post after a high press. Tottenham weathered the storm and created some opportunities of their own, but they failed to capitalize.
As the game wore on, tensions rose, and neither side could find the crucial goal. In the 75th minute, Villarreal appealed for a penalty when Akhomach went down under a challenge from Simons, but the referee waved play on. Late in the game, Van de Ven was fortunate to escape with just a booking after bundling over Mikautadze, who was through on goal.
Ultimately, the early own goal from Luiz Júnior proved enough to hand Tottenham the victory. While the performance was not entirely convincing, Spurs manager Thomas Frank expressed satisfaction with the result, emphasizing the importance of securing the three points in their return to the Champions League. He noted that his team defended exceptionally well against a very good Villarreal side, though they didn't reach their highest level offensively.
The win also marked Tottenham's 150th victory in European competition and extended their unbeaten home run in Europe to 21 matches.
