The Sun

IT just had to be Randal Kolo Muani who kept Thomas Frank’s show on the road.

The France striker had missed Spurs’ flight over to Germany after crashing his Ferrari on the M25 on the way to Stansted airport on Tuesday.

But he ended up motoring Spurs into the last 16 of the Champions League with his clever finish here, which sub Dominic Solanke added to late on.

It had fans wondering whether it might just put the brakes on any decision by Spurs hierarchy to leave boss Thomas Frank by the roadside too.

The Dane is under serious pressure for failing to get Tottenham out of first gear domestically, dropping to 14th in the Premier League and out of both cups.

But in Europe, it has been a completely different story, just like last season under predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

Even the most ardent Frank-Out fan – and there are a lot of them among the Spurs fanbase – will have to admit he has done a stellar job in the Champions League.

Muani’s neat flick early into the second half at the Deutsche Bank Park sealed a top-eight finish in the group phase.

That is no mean feat given the calibre of clubs that did not make it.

Muani’s tyre blow-out had seen both himself and compatriot Wilson Odobert – who pulled over in a car behind to offer moral support – take a later flight to Frankfurt than the rest of the team on Tuesday night.

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Frank insisted both were in the right mind to play and they backed that claim up with impressive displays.

Muani has been a big disappointment in the Premier League since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, failing to score and looking unhappy.

Juventus are keen to bring him back on loan themselves, but Spurs can ill-afford to lose many more players given their crock crisis.

Frank was missing FOURTEEN players here due to a mixture of injury and ineligibility, with key defenders Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven the latest crock victims.

Meanwhile Frankfurt, despite having nothing to play for, picked nearly as strong a side as they could, including 2014 World Cup final-winning goal-scorer Mario Gotze.

Spurs bossed the first half but could not make their dominance pay.

Xavi Simons, regularly booed for his Bundesliga past with RB Leipzig, thought he had given the visitors an early lead when firing in from close range.

Yet the goal was chalked off for a pull-back on a Frankfurt defender by an offside-looking Destiny Udogie in the build-up.

Udogie had the best chance of the first half when Muani floated in a tantalising cross which the Italian full-back rose to meet.

But the defender completely missed his header, catching Odobert, who was behind Udogie, by surprise, with the ball bouncing off the Frenchman’s chest and away.

Odobert then cracked a post with a super drive with his weaker left foot after a fine one-two with Simons, but again the ball escaped to safety.

Simons was alive to a poor pass out from Frankfurt keeper Kaua Santos – whose clattering on James Maddison in April had earned Spurs’ match-winning spot-kick – and showed some nifty feet to open up a chance, only for his cute shot to be cleared by Santos’ leg.

And yet, Frankfurt could have gone into the break 1-0 up, had Hugo Larsson hit the back of the net rather than the crossbar just before the interval.

Spurs capitalised on that close shave by quickly going ahead in the second half.

Captain Cristian Romero headed a Simons cross back across goal and there was Muani to delicately turn home.

Solanke, who netted the winner here in April’s Europa League quarter-final second leg that kept Postecoglou temporarily in a job, then wrapped things up.

He raced onto a loose Mahmoud Dahoud header and slotted into the far corner.

Muani’s strike was only his third goal for Spurs and came against his former team Eintracht, having netted his other two against his parent club PSG in November.

Losing 5-3 to the holders was no shame and the only defeat from Frank’s group-stage campaign which has undeniably – and perhaps inconveniently, for some – been a success.

RANDAL KOLO MUANI netted a crucial goal in Tottenham’s win over Frankfurt – the day after crashing his Ferrari en route to Germany.

Spurs forward Kolo Muani sustained serious damage to his pricey motor while driving to the airport but stepped out unscathed.

The “minor incident” was caused by a blown tyre and Tottenham team-mate Wilson Odobert was on hand to help out his pal.

But it was still serious enough to fling debris all over the road and force traffic to drive around the stranded Ferrari.

Kolo Muani and Odobert ended up missing their flight and joined the squad later than planned on Tuesday evening.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank still judged Kolo Muani to be in the right headspace to start at former club Eintracht Frankfurt for a vital Champions League clash on Wednesday.

And the Frenchman repaid his manager’s faith with a tidy finish to put the visitors 1-0 up.

The second half was only a minute old when Xavi Simons’ back-post cross was headed across goal by Cristian Romero for Kolo Muani to turn in.

Spurs went into the game as part of a cluster of teams who could have either made it into the automatic knockout spots or dropped into the play-off positions.

And Frank plumped for Kolo Muani up top despite his underwhelming record since signing on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

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The French international had scored twice in 23 appearances across all appearances prior to the Frankfurt trip – and both were in a European clash with parent club PSG.

Further questions have been raised about Kolo Muani’s Spurs future amid links to Juventus.

The Turin club are reportedly keen to re-sign the forward, who scored 10 goals in 22 games for them on loan last season, and talks to cancel his Tottenham loan agreement are thought to be in progress.

Spurs do have centre-forward cover in the recently recovered Dominic Solanke, who netted the second against Frankfurt 30 minutes after Kolo Muani’s opener to seal a 2-0 win and send his side straight through to the knockouts.

EIGHTEEN matches are taking place simultaneously RIGHT NOW as the league phase of the Champions League comes to a dramatic close.

Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Man City and Tottenham are all eyeing a spot in the top eight, but the table is very congested.

The pick of the games sees the Blues head to Napoli and the Magpies take on European kings PSG, while top-of-the-table Arsenal are already through and face Kazakh side Kairat.

TV channel: TNT Sports

live stream: discovery +

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TOTTENHAM are in a great position for automatic qualification to the Champions League last-16.

Under-fire boss Thomas Frank eased pressure on his position with a huge 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the penultimate matchweek of the league phase.

Tottenham’s victory meant they went up to fifth in the table as the battle for a top eight finish reaches a thrilling climax this evening.

Spurs end their league phase campaign with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt, who have nothing to play for after a disappointing season in Europe.

SunSport can reveal exactly what Tottenham need to automatically progress to the last-16 of the Champions League.

What do Tottenham need to qualify for Champions League last-16?

Tottenham currently sit fifth in the Champions League table after taking 14 points from a possible 21.

Simply put, a win at Frankfurt for Spurs would guarantee them a top eight finish, and they could move up to third, which would ensure home second legs in the last-16 and quarter-finals.

Should Frank’s side draw in Germany, they could be overtaken by EIGHT different teams, including Champions League kings PSG.

And if they lose to Frankfurt, 10 sides could better Spurs’ points tally of 14, with an 11th team in Dortmund also able to better their goal difference with a win and a four-goal swing.

Should Tottenham drop out of the top eight, they will be forced to play a knockout-phase play-off to earn a last-16 spot.

Final Champions League fixtures

Here are the final matches of the league phase:

Wednesday, January 28

DRAMATIC new footage shows a steaming tyre lying in the middle of the motorway before panning to Spurs star Randal Kolo Muani’s stricken black Ferrari Purosangue after his crash on the M25 yesterday.

A witness has told how they heard three “loud bangs” as Kolo Muani’s front tyre exploded while he sped down the motorway en route to a Champions League clash in Frankfurt.

Motorists can be seen slowly trundling around the sports car, which is sagging to the right with wires hanging from its rear, metres away from its detached tyre, in footage taken at 2.50pm on Tuesday.

The eyewitness also spotted Kolo Muani, 27, and team-mate Wilson Odobert, 21, who was driving a separate car behind him. They were seen standing beside the damaged car and were reported to be unhurt.

The pair were travelling to Stansted Airport to catch a flight ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt, which kicks off at 8pm.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank later confirmed everyone involved in the accident is fine.

He said: “It was a tyre blowing up and the two of them are a little bit delayed.

“They will fly out later and I fully expect both to be available.”

An eyewitness told The Sun: “I was about a minute behind the crash. Traffic was quite slow beforehand – about 40 miles per hour.

“I had my window down when I heard three loud bangs. Then everything slowed right down.

“I saw the wheel on the road and then drove past the Ferrari.

“The airbags were puffed out and the windows were steamed up so I couldn’t see inside.

“It looked like it had hit the barrier and part of the rear of the car had broken off.”

The source, who asked not to be named, said the scene left him “gobsmacked”, adding: “You don’t see many high-end cars on the road, let alone international footballers.

“We had to weave through debris so we didn’t damage our own car – the players seemed weirdly calm to be fair though.”

The motorway drama is the latest headache for Frank, with star players Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven already sidelined.

Right-back Porro has been ruled out for around a month with a hamstring injury sustained in the draw at Burnley, and centre-back Van de Ven is also absent with a minor issue.

Frank said: “It definitely does not help any of us.

“Of course, we prefer to have our best players out on the pitch.

“Any coach and team-mate wants that, but we have a squad and need other players to step up, as they have done.”

THE league phase of the Champions League comes to an end tonight – and all six English sides could end up booking their immediate passage to the last 16.

All 36 teams in the competition will be involved in a blockbuster evening, with each of the games kicking off at 8pm.

Arsenal are going into their meeting with Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty knowing that they are already through without having to go into the play-offs.

The Gunners maintained their 100 per cent winning record with their victory at Inter Milan last week and they have qualified for the last 16 alongside Bayern Munich.

Liverpool already have 15 points on the board ahead of their showdown with Qarabag.

And a win for Arne Slot’s side would be enough to ensure they join Premier League rivals Arsenal in the last 16.

But after a 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven had a big impact on their goal difference, a draw might not be enough to avoid the play-off round.

Tottenham have a golden opportunity to turn their faltering season around.

If they beat Eintracht Frankfurt, who have already fallen out of contention to extend their Champions League campaign, they are certain to finish in the top eight.

Thomas Frank’s side overcame ten-man Borussia Dortmund to make sure they went into the final matchday with their fate in their own hands.

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But eight teams are only a point behind Spurs, so a draw or defeat could leave them facing a play-off clash.

Newcastle have a daunting trip to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain tonight.

Both sides are locked on 13 points and the winner will book their spot in the last 16.

But a draw could see them drop out of the top eight and the losers would be primed to fall into the play-off positions.

Chelsea appear to be in a strong position – but they are still not certain of a place in the last 16 even if they beat former Stamford Bridge chief Antonio Conte and his Napoli side.

The Blues are one of the sides on 13 points, so it could all come down to goal difference.

That made the slender win over Pafos on the last Champions League matchday even more frustrating for boss Liam Rosenior.

If Chelsea lose or draw, it is likely that they will have to make do with a play-off berth.

Manchester City did not do themselves any favours when they fell to a shock defeat against Bodo/Glimt last week.

They already have a play-off spot at minimum, but their goal difference means they have a good chance of breaking into the top eight if they bag three points at home to Galatasaray.

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TOTTENHAM star Randal Kolo Muani has been involved in a car crash.

Thankfully he is understood to have come out of the collision unscathed.

The crash was caused after a tyre blew while the Frenchman was driving on the M25 in Hertfordshire.

His team-mate Wilson Odobert pulled over to check Kolo Muani was okay.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank confirmed the crash, saying: “Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert are both fine.

“Both were involved in a minor accident. It was a tyre blowing up.

“The two were a bit delayed but they will be here later tonight.

“I’m in doubt if they were both in that car, actually. It was on the way to the airport.”

Asked if they will be available for selection against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, Frank said: “That is my understanding (that they are OK to play).

“I haven’t spoken to them personally yet. They will fly out later. I fully expect them to be available for the game.”

Kolo Muani and Odobert were spotted at the side of the road alongside a bashed-up Ferrari that contained an inflated airbag.

The front right tyre was blown with the wheel missing, while the car also took damage to the wheel arch and the front grill.

The windshield was also cracked.

Traffic cameras showed the pair and the car were in a lay-by as emergency services attended the scene.

They were understood to be on their way to Stansted airport to meet up with the rest of the Tottenham squad ahead of their flight to Germany.

The delay meant the plane took off without them, but they are expected to get a later flight out.

LORD SUGAR says he’d fire every single Tottenham player if he had the chance – insisting they’re all “bloody useless”.

The Londoner, 78, spent a decade as Spurs‘ chairman and part-owner long before becoming the well-known face of The Apprentice.

Underachievers find themselves on the wrong end of Lord Sugar’s pointed finger when getting chucked off his popular BBC show.

And the tech mogul wishes he could give Tottenham’s floundering flops the same brutal treatment.

He told SunSport: “I think the whole bloody team should be fired, if you ask me. They’re useless. Bloody useless, the lot of them.”

Spurs appointed Thomas Frank to replace Ange Postecoglou after a turbulent 2024-25 season that saw them win the Europa League but finish just one spot above the relegation zone.

And there hasn’t been a big improvement – the team now sitting 14th in the table and Frank clinging onto his job.

Lord Sugar added: “They’re getting close to the relegation zone.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the new management is going to do, because as you know, Daniel Levy has left. So it’s now in the hands of Joe Lewis, who’s a multi-billionaire.

“He needs to start throwing some money, some real money at it, to get the top players. And if he throws some more money at it, they’ll do well.

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“It seems to be the only way that all these clubs do, buy players for £100million each.”

Lord Sugar set up electronics company Amstrad in the 1960s and sold it to BSkyB for £125m in 2007.

He raked in another £25m that year by selling his remaining stake in Tottenham, six years after stepping down as chairman.

Lord Sugar is still proud of the work he did in North London and even threatened legal action against pundit Jamie Redknapp, who was forced to apologise live on Sky Sports after saying that Spurs had been left in a “total mess” when the businessman turned TV star sold up.

Lord Sugar explained: “In 20-odd years of running this show and being the chairman of a football club, I can assure you nothing shocks me with what people say about me.

“I’ve got rhinoceros skin and it’s like water off a duck’s back. Unless someone oversteps the mark a little bit, then they hear from my lawyers, like Mr Redknapp did recently.”

TOTTENHAM have given a good account of themselves in the Champions League this season but their domestic form is a huge concern.

Thomas Frank’s side needed a 90th-minute equaliser from Cristian Romero (£4m) to avoid defeat at Burnley on Saturday but a 2-2 draw with the team 19th in the Premier League table has only increased the pressure on the Danish tactician.

Spurs have won just one of their last nine games in domestic football, a 1-0 league win over Crystal Palace on December 28th.

Now 14th in the table, the North Londoners are heading for another disappointing bottom-half finish and pessimistic supporters will be concerned that West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds have found wins easier to come by lately.

From a Dream Team perspective, Spurs’ defensive assets are comfortably outperforming their attacking counterparts.

MOST POINTS AMONG SPURS PLAYERS THIS SEASON

That it was Romero who scored the late equaliser at Turf Moor came as no surprise.

While Spurs’ midfielders and forwards have struggled for goals under Frank, their centre-backs have been relatively prolific.

Van de Ven opened the scoring against the Clarets with his sixth goal of the season in all competitions.

And his Argentine partner has five goals to his name having scored in three consecutive games.

Romero has also provided three assists.

The pair rank first and second among defenders for goals scored.

MOST GOALS AMONG DREAM TEAM DEFENDERS THIS SEASON

Porro is yet to score this season but he is the most successful Spurs defender at present with 177 points, just two shy of second-placed Marc Guehi (£4.1m).

The Spaniard ranks highly in his position for assists, big chances created, tackles, clean sheets and bonus points.

Van de Ven, the third-most popular asset in the game, currently ranks eighth among defenders while Romero is up to joint-tenth but the latter is the most in-form player in his position having taken 34 points from his last three outings.

Despite Spurs’ obvious weaknesses, their best defenders are undeniably viable in the realm of Dream Team.

But for how long?