Fueled by the enthusiastic cheers of the home crowd, Tottenham entered the match full of spirit against Villarreal on the opening day of the 2025/26 Champions League.

In the 4th minute, luck smiled on Spurs when Villarreal's Luiz Junior awkwardly scored an own goal, helping coach Thomas Frank's team take an early lead.

Tottenham, despite being lucky to open the score, played deadlocked against Villarreal - Photo: CLB

The early goal forced the visitors to push forward in search of an equalizer. Tajon Buchanan and Nicolas Pepe constantly disturbed Tottenham's defense, but their shots were either inaccurate or blocked.

Tottenham also had notable responses from Bentancur, Bergvall and Kudus, but could not take advantage.

In the second half, the tense scenario continued. Villarreal increased their attack speed, Pepe had a good chance in the 55th minute but his shot went wide of the post.

Meanwhile, Tottenham proactively retreated deep to defend, waiting for counter-attacks thanks to the mobility of Xavi Simons and Kudus.

Tottenham vs Villarreal.jpg
"The Rooster" had a smooth start in the UEFA Champions League arena - Photo: CLB

The final minutes saw Villarreal's unsuccessful efforts, as the Spurs defense and goalkeeper focused on keeping the net clean.

The match ended 1-0, bringing three valuable points to Tottenham. This result not only helped them temporarily rise to the top group, but also created a solid psychological cushion for the challenging journey ahead.

Goal scorer : Junior (4' own goal)

Starting lineup

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van De Ven, Spence, Pape Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kudus, Richarlison, Xavi Simons.

Villarreal: Junior, Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona, Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Pepe, Mikautadze, Perez.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ket-qua-bong-da-tottenham-vs-villarreal-cup-c1-2025-26-2442996.html