Tottenham Hotspur

"Slavia Prague are yet to win in the Champions League this season, but draws against Atalanta, Bodø/Glimt and Athletic Club show they have fight. A 6ft 6ins striker may cause problems - while perhaps Micky van de Ven could be persuaded to go on another extraordinary run..."

Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit

How do Slavia Prague set up?

More often than not, tonight’s visitors set up with three at the back – in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. While dominant domestically (they’re top), they rank 31st in the Champions League for average possession (43.8%) and 35th of 36 teams for passes completed. They’ll try to play narrow and compact out of possession - meaning whoever starts in advanced central midfield for Spurs, be it Xavi Simons, Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr, needs to be finding pockets of space to make something happen. Slavia are having to battle in this competition, an idea reinforced by the fact they’ve made the second most tackles (27 per game), second most clearances (33 per game) and most fouls (18 per game) of any Champions League side.

Struggling to score...

Slavia haven’t scored in their last four Champions League games – although two of those were 3-0 losses to Inter and Arsenal. Their last goals came in a 2-2 draw with Bodø/Glimt back in September, and only Ajax (1) have scored fewer. There has been a team focus on working the ball wide as quickly as possible, be it to their advancing wingbacks or wide forwards on the counter-attack, to try to cross into the area quickly. There’s a 6ft 6ins reason for that – the towering figure of striker Tomáš Chorý. Having scored 20 goals last season, the Czech international is a physical handful, happy to get into it with opposition defenders – as Arsenal’s Gabriel found out recently, needing treatment on a first-half facial injury. Keep an eye out for defender Youssoupha Mbodji too, who had the instinct to get forward and meet two crosses for goals in the 2-2 draw with Bodø/Glimt.

Run Micky, run...

Micky van de Ven enjoyed an iconic Champions League goal with his rampaging run to score against Copenhagen on Matchday 4. But with Slavia Prague in their defensive shape, it wouldn’t hurt for the Dutchman to break forward in possession again and fragment their set up. Bodo/Glimt nearly scored from one such run – while Arsenal sent William Saliba into midfield from centre-back at times to add an extra body. Slavia also struggled with Athletic Club’s aggression out of possession in their last Champions League match (0-0), giving away the ball too often near their own box. “(Athletic Club) pressed us, not letting us get out, which helped them a lot,” explained head coach Jindřich Trpišovský post-match. “We struggled to recover second balls due to the quality of their players. They dealt with our style of play really well."

Key players...

This was a sentiment echoed by defender Štěpán Chaloupek upon full-time, who was full of praise for their goalkeeper after claiming a point against their visitors from Bilbao. "Thanks to Jindřich Staněk for his saves, especially after the mistakes in our build-up. He kept us in the game." Staněk made four big stops – and kept out a penalty in the opening league phase game against Bodø/Glimt. It’s a position they’re well covered in. Fellow goalkeeper Jakub Markovič was one of seven Slavia players in the latest Czechia squad. Others include Lukáš Provod, a mobile midfielder with an eye for a pass, former PSV man Michal Sadilek, who can unleash a dangerous left foot shot from distance, and David Doudera, a big offensive threat down the right side.

The first-ever SK Slavia Prague manager was a Scotsman who had a brief spell with us towards the end of his playing career - John Madden.

Scotland to Spurs to Slavia

John Madden played for Dumbarton Albion, Dumbarton Hibernian and Gainsborough Trinity prior to being invited to play in Celtic’s first-ever match in May, 1888. He won three titles at Celtic, plus the Scottish Cup, scoring 49 goals in 118 appearances. A brief spell at Dundee preceded his arrival at Tottenham during December, 1897 and he went on to play eight times for us at the end of 1897/88, twice in the Southern League. Madden’s Slavia Prague connection is believed to have come about when he accompanied Celtic on their tour to Prague during May, 1904. He was offered the job as manager and took up the post with effect from 15 February, 1905. Under Madden, Slavia won the local cup competition four times in five years between 1908-1912 and the Czechoslovakian league championship in 1925, 1929 and 1930. Madden retired during June, 1930 and, having married a local lady, remained in the city until his passing on April 17, 1948.

Our first meeting with SK Slavia Prague was in May, 1905, part of a seven-match tour of the Austro-Hungarian empire – our first ever overseas tour. It was another century before we faced them again in European competition - then we played them four times in 18 months! Back in 1905, we played three games in Vienna and two in Budapest before arriving for two matches in Prague. We played Slavia at their stadium in the Letna area of Prague, close to the present home of city rivals Sparta. Level at 1-1 at half-time, we added seven without reply in the second half - ‘Ginger’ Walton, John Cameron and Walter Bull netted two apiece with Alex Glen and Charlie O’Hagan also on the scoresheet.

After a seven-year absence - we played in the UEFA Cup in 1999/2000 - we were back in Europe after finishing fifth in the Premier League under Martin Jol in 2005/06. First up in the first round of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup - Slavia Prague. We travelled to the Czech Republic for the first leg on 14 September, 2006, returning with a 1-0 win, Jermaine Jenas on target. We repeated the scoreline at home for a 2-0 aggregate win, Robbie Keane on target at the Lane. We progressed to the fifth round where we were beaten over two legs by Sevilla. Since 2005/06, we've played in Europe in 18 of 20 seasons - a stark contrast to the previous 20 season, where we played in Europe just twice - 1991/92 and 1999/00.

We were soon renewing acquaintances with Slavia Prague as we drew them again in the third round of the UEFA Cup in 2008. We won the away leg 2-1 with Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov on target and were in control at 3-1 on aggregate when Jamie O'Hara opened the scoring in the second leg at the Lane. However, the visitors hit back and it needed a late save from Paul Robinson to keep us in front. As we reported at the time - Jamie's goal extended a run of firsts for the midfielder - debut, first start, first home game, first call into the England U21 squad, first game in Europe, first goal. We went out on penalties to PSV in the fourth round - future Spur Heurelho Gomes providing the heroics in goal for PSV.

Liverpool vs Spurs (WSL) | Kick-off change  Tottenham Hotspur

We can confirm that Jessica Naz has suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee.

The England international forward sustained the injury during the second half of Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League match against Aston Villa at Brisbane Road, and will undergo surgery.

Jess will then commence her rehabilitation process with our medical staff. Everyone at the Club gives Jess their full love and support on her recovery journey.

@SpursOfficial

Tue 09 December 2025, 09:00| Tottenham Hotspur

One night in north London taught Slavia Prague’s goalkeeper coach Radek Cerny exactly what it means to play for Spurs.

A goalkeeper for us between 2005 and 2008, right at the start of a period of significant growth for the Club, Radek was a part of the squad that famously lifted the 2008 League Cup, but it was a certain night in the run to that triumph which the shot stopper still looks back on as one of his most enjoyable during his time at White Hart Lane.

While he only made 28 appearances across his three-and-a-half years in north London, two of those came in the semi-finals of the then Carling Cup as we faced off against Arsenal, including a start in our delectable 5-1 second-leg win at the Lane which saw us through to the Wembley final.

An own goal plus strikes from Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon, Robbie Keane and Steed Malbranque saw us dominate the Gunners on our own turf to dump them out of the competition and book our place in the spring showpiece, and that is a night Radek - who is now a goalkeeping coach at Tuesday’s Champions league opposition Slavia - will never forget as it showed him just how much a north London derby win means to us.

"It really was an incredible night for everyone associated with Spurs - the players, the supporters, the staff – as we won 5-1 and got through to the final,” the Slavia Prague legend recalled. "The atmosphere was unbelievable. I could feel what that victory meant to the fans!

"It was obviously a big derby match, and I can remember some of the English players like Ledley King telling me it had been a little while since Spurs had last beaten Arsenal. So, people enjoyed the victory even more!"

Despite starting both semi-final legs and featuring in every Premier League game in the lead up to the final, Paul Robinson was favoured in goal by manager Juande Ramos for what was the first League Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium.

"It was disappointing not to be playing," Radek said. "Every footballer wants to play the final game, especially at Wembley Stadium. But what was more important was to get the win.

"I can remember Jonathan Woodgate’s winning goal. It was fantastic to win the trophy and also to know by February of that year that we had already qualified for the UEFA Cup for the following season."

Now a goalkeeping coach for Tuesday's Champions League opponents, Slavia, for whom he made over 200 appearances across two spells, our former goalkeeper is excited to return to N17.

"Everyone associated with Slavia Prague is very excited about the prospect of this match. The new stadium is fantastic, and we can’t wait to go there with Slavia.

"Of course, on a personal level, it’ll be a special game for me, going back to my former club and seeing old faces."

It’s matchday six in the UEFA Champions League as we take on Czech side Slavia Prague at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night.

Here’s everything you need to know...

What time does the match start?

We get underway at 8pm UK time.

How can I watch the game?

Supporters in the UK will be able to watch the action live on TNT Sports 1.

Limited tickets are still available on Guest Sale to Season Ticket Holders and One Hotspur Members signed up before 25 September.

If you’re following us from overseas, check out our Spurs on TV page to see if the game is live in your area.

Our Match Centre here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app will bring you full live text and audio commentary throughout the match.

Highlights will be available on SPURSPLAY on Wednesday.

What is the team news?

Destiny Udogie won’t feature after being ruled out until the New Year with a hamstring issue picked up in last week’s draw at Newcastle.

Brennan Johnson is also “touch and go” while Thomas Frank suggested at his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon that he may rotate the team in certain areas.

Mathys Tel, Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin are ineligible while long-term absentees Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain out.

Oscar Dorley, Filip Horsky, Petr Sevcik and Dominik Javorcek miss out for Slavia Prague through injury, while attacker Tomas Chory is a doubt due to illness.

Heung-Min Son to return

Heung-Min Son will return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since leaving the club to bid farewell to our home fans at Tuesday night’s match.

Our legendary former captain announced his departure in August during our summer tour in his home nation of South Korea, playing his final game in a Spurs shirt in front of a sold-out Seoul World Cup stadium.

Sonny will take to the pitch before Tuesday night’s game – a little while before the team walk-outs commence – to personally address the supporters who took him into their hearts following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

Who is the referee?

French referee Benoît Bastien will take charge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night.

He’ll be assisted by Hicham Zakrani and Aurélien Berthomieu, with Thomas Leonard as the fourth official.

VAR duties will be handled by Ivan Bebek, who will be assisted by Jérôme Brisard.

Which kit colours will the teams be wearing?

We’ll be in our traditional all-Lilywhite home strip, while Slavia Prague will be in purple and navy blue halved shirts with navy shorts and navy socks.

Our goalkeeper will be in blue, with theirs in yellow.

How can I get the matchday programme?

The latest issue of our official matchday programme will be on sale at the game, priced at the usual £4. Copies can also be ordered online here for delivery direct to your door.

What will the weather be like?

Rain is forecast in the build-up to the game, but it may have subsided by the time we get underway. Temperatures should be around 13 degrees.

What is the travel information?

If you’re coming to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch the match live in person, the latest travel information can be found here.

Our Academy will round off the league stage of the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday afternoon by hosting Slavia Prague’s Under-19s (1pm UK) – and you’ll be able to watch the action live on SPURSPLAY!

With three wins from our five games to date, we’re already assured of a place in the round of 32 in the New Year, although victory against the Czech side would give us a chance of finishing in the top six and therefore earn a favourable draw as a seeded team in the next phase.

Unlike the first team in the UEFA Champions League, our Academy only plays six league stage matches in Europe instead of eight.

Slavia have picked up impressive victories over Arsenal and Bodo/Glimt so far in the competition, putting five goals past both, although those matches both came at home. They’ve also drawn two matches, only losing once to date, meaning it’s sure to be a tough test for Wayne Burnett’s young side at Hotspur Way.

Kick-off on Tuesday afternoon is at 1pm UK time – tune in to SPURSPLAY from 12.55pm to watch the match live.

Updates will also be available on our official Academy social media channels, with a full match report to be published here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app after the game as usual.

A reminder to supporters that UEFA Youth League matches at Hotspur Way are all-ticket and no admittance will be granted to those not in possession of a valid match ticket.

Highlights | Defeat in latest UEFA Youth League outing against PSG

We have been drawn at home against Aston Villa in the third round of this season's Emirates FA Cup.

The third round of the competition will take place over the weekend of Saturday 10 January, 2026 - the exact date and kick-off time of our tie, plus ticket information, will be confirmed in due course.

We last faced Villa in the competition last season, a 2-1 loss in the fifth round at Villa Park with Mathys Tel on target. We played Villa at home in third round in 2017 as goals from Ben Davies and Heung-Min Son secured a 2-0 win at the Lane.

Third round draw in full

One of the voices of European football on talkSPORT and Sky Sports, well known for The Football Ramble podcast, an author and writer for The Guardian - and a regular contributor here at Spurs for almost 10 years - Andy Brassell will give his view on our UEFA Champions League opponents as part of our '60 seconds on...' pre-match feature this season.

Next up, it's Slavia Prague in MD6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday evening (8pm UK) - a team where, as Andy explains, results in black and white of no wins, three draws and two defeats in the UCL so far this term maybe don't tell the whole story...

@andybrassell

Unbeaten domestically – and a test

Andy: "I think this might be a little bit tougher than people expect for a couple of reasons. First up, obviously, Slavia Prague are unbeaten in the Czech First League. They're top, so they're in a good position, domestically. If you look at the detail of what they've done in the Champions League this season, and obviously they're a well-backed, well-funded, well-constructed side, they've only really been beaten by really good sides - Arsenal and Inter - and it was only Inter really gave them a proper beating. There were bits of the Arsenal game which I thought were very good before Arsenal made their quality count at the big moments. However, if you look at some of those other games and they've kept clean sheets against Atalanta and Athletic, who are both good sides from good leagues. If you look at Atalanta, they went and had 16 shots out there, which is pretty amazing, really - they didn't just sit behind the ball and dig in."

Domestic dominance - defensive diligence in Europe

Andy: "So, Slavia Prague have got something about them, but they are able to defend in a way that's sometimes quite difficult for teams that are dominant domestically when they come into the Champions League and face teams from bigger leagues, and all of a sudden have possession cut from 60 per cent to 30, 35. That’s quite difficult to cope with mentally as well as tactically, but they've done it quite well. The thing they'll really regret is the fact they were 2-0 up against Bodo Glimt in the first game and weren't able to hold onto that. If you look at the position they're in now, it feels quite unlikely they're going to reach the top 24 – but that doesn't mean they couldn't ruin it for any of the remaining teams they've got to play."

Chory the one to watch

Andy: "Spurs, I think, will have to be patient in this game. At the other end, when we talked about them actually having a go when the moment comes, I would say the one to keep an eye out for is Tomas Chory, who's been scoring consistently in the league. He’s a big, towering centre-forward, bringing up a few memories of Jan Koller, if we're talking about Czech strikers of yesteryear. So, obviously, Spurs are favourites, but it’s not a given in, I think it's fair to say, a game that they've really got to win."

Xavi Simons immersed himself in the Club’s neighbourhood by taking a tour of our local community alongside club legends Michael Dawson and Ledley King.

Our attacking midfielder visited three locations within the proximity of our Stadium: Tottenham Community Sports Centre, The Antwerp Arms and Percy House, meeting with community leaders and learning more about the club’s impact in our neighbourhood.

Tottenham Community Sports Centre serves as a hub for the local area and our community engagement, hosting several of our Foundation’s programmes and being the site of Ledley King’s mural. It was also a donation site for the Multibank UK 2024 Christmas Campaign, in which the club united with our supporters by donating hygiene products to address the rising issue of hygiene poverty in the UK.

The Antwerp Arms is the oldest working pub in N17 and became north London’s first community pub in 2015 after it was saved from being sold to developers by Spurs supporters, the Club and local residents. It is one of the most popular matchday pubs amongst our fans and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust host multiple events there throughout the year.

Percy House has been the home of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation following the completion of its restoration in 2019. As well as serving as the hub for our community programmes that reach over 13,000 local residents, the building holds historical significance for the Club, serving as London residence for the Percy family, whose most famous member Henry ‘Harry Hotspur’ Percy inspired our name and emblem. It reflects the history of north Tottenham over the past 250 years as it developed from a dormitory village for wealthy city merchants to the vibrant multicultural community it is today.

During his visit to Percy House, Xavi met a group of schoolchildren taking part in STEM activities as part of our Foundation’s drive to break down the significant barriers for children from disadvantaged areas in accessing STEM education.

His tour also included stops at the legendary Chick King restaurant and the historic Bill Nicholson Gates, which were reinstalled last summer and now sit within PAXTON17, next to Percy House.

Xavi said: “I was so happy to take a moment to learn more about the history of this amazing club and to travel around the community with two legends in Ledley and Michael. It was particularly special to join Ledley at his mural as he is such an inspiration and a real legend – it was an honour to be able to chat with him.”