Tottenham opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Frank’s side got the job done. Here are the main takeaways from the match.
Spurs’ right side looks a real weapon
Luiz Junior's own goal gifted Tottenham a 1-0 home victory over Villarreal on a night when Thomas Partey played before an appearance in court for rape and sexual assault charges.
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This 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.
Joao Palhinha came off the bench and immediately elevated his team
In charge: Thomas Frank
John Walton/PA Wire
Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri
Tottenham returned to the Champions League with a 1-0 win against Villarreal on Tuesday evening and here are our Spurs player ratings from the lacklustre encounter.
TOTTENHAM 1-0 VILLARREAL: Spurs got their return to the Champions League off to a winning start after a goalkeeper howler earned them all three points against the La Liga side
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/09/16/image-d72cd49d-a9b6-49da-9d2a-2261e04c8920-85-2560-1440.jpeg "Highlights: Early own goal gives Spurs win in Frank's Champions League debut - TNT Sports")