Tottenham Hotspur edged out Villarreal 1–0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, a victory secured by a bizarre own goal from the visitors’ goalkeeper just four minutes into the match.
The early mistake by Luiz Júnior handed Spurs the advantage, and though the rest of the game was far from comfortable, Thomas Frank’s side clung on to make a winning start in Group Stage play.
The decisive moment came when Lucas Bergvall, playing with confidence and zip, delivered a cross from the right flank aimed for Richarlison. What looked like a routine save turned into a calamity as Luiz Júnior fumbled the ball, which then squirmed across the line. The stadium erupted in relief and surprise in equal measure.
From that point Spurs adopted a more conservative posture. Despite having the lead, they were under pressure for long spells, particularly in the second half. Villarreal, captained by former Spurs defender Juan Foyth, tried to force their way back into the match, with Nicolas Pépé among their more dangerous outlets.
Several set-pieces and crosses threatened Tottenham’s resolve, but they could not fashion a shot on target that truly tested Guglielmo Vicario, whose defense in front of him held firm.
Starting our Champions League campaign with a win! pic.twitter.com/kVEUXjXXnL
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 16, 2025
Thomas Frank rang the changes at half-time and beyond, but it was the defensive discipline that ultimately made the difference. Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Djed Spence marshaled the backline, with Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur doing the dirty work in midfield.
Spurs’ energy dipped in the latter stages, but whenever Villarreal threatened, Spurs managed to snuff out danger and clear their lines.
Offensively, Tottenham were largely toothless after the early gift. The side looked sharp in transition and had glimpses of creativity—Xavi Simons tried his luck from distance, Bergvall’s movement opened spaces, and Richarlison made intelligent runs—but none of it translated into more goals.
With Spurs’ attacking players not quite clicking in rhythm, they had to rely on their defensive structure and a bit of fortune.
Villarreal never fully lost their composure but lacked clinical edge. Their crosses and balls into the box were frequent in the second half, and they enjoyed periods of sustained pressure, especially late in the game when Tottenham’s legs looked heavy.
Pépé curled a free kick that narrowly missed, and Buchanan had a chance on a breakaway but couldn’t hit the target. The visitors will rue their inability to test Vicario more seriously.
For Tottenham, the win carries multiple positives. It marked a triumphant return to Europe’s premier club competition after several years away. It was the club’s 150th competitive European win, and extended their unbeaten run at home in European competition to 21 matches.
Lucas Bergvall in particular emerged with praise beyond his assist. The 19-year-old Swedish midfielder, making his Champions League debut, was instrumental early on and showed composure and intelligence in his contributions. He has now already begun to cement his place in discussions among Spurs supporters as a rising star to watch.
As for Villarreal, the lessons will be clear. They showed some moments of quality but lacked the sharpness to punish Spurs’ mistakes. They will need to sharpen their attacking cohesion, improve precision in opportunity creation, and perhaps show more urgency earlier in matches.