Thomas Frank's Champions League debut as Tottenham manager was a nervy affair, but his side emerged with a 1-0 win over Villarreal thanks to a catastrophic error from goalkeeper Luiz Júnior. The Brazilian somehow pushed Lucas Bergvall's low cross into his own net early on, gifting Spurs the lead in a match where they rarely threatened otherwise.
Villarreal, organised in a 4-4-2 by manager Marcelino, grew into the game after the early setback. Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé was a constant menace, twice going close in the first half and delivering a man-of-the-match display. Tajon Buchanan also spurned a glorious chance, shooting wastefully wide after some shaky Tottenham defending.
The second half saw Spurs retreat deep, inviting pressure. Pépé continued to threaten, while Xavi Simons was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for a foul on the winger. Micky van de Ven also escaped a potential red card after barging over Georges Mikautadze on the edge of the area, with Pépé whipping the resulting free-kick past the post.
Thomas Partey, another former Arsenal player, came off the bench for Villarreal in the 77th minute, his introduction met with a muted response given his impending court appearance on rape charges. The match was also Tottenham's first at home since the ousting of chairman Daniel Levy, with the new boardroom powers in attendance.
Frank could take solace in a clean sheet, his team's fourth in five matches, and the three points. But the performance was far from convincing, with Spurs mustering only one shot on target all night. The manager will need more from his side as the Champions League campaign progresses.
