Thomas Frank made a winning start to his Champions League career as Tottenham beat Villarreal 1-0, courtesy of a fourth-minute own goal by goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
Junior misjudged a simple cross from Lucas Bergvall and spilled it into his own net, gifting Spurs the lead in their first Champions League match since 2022.
Despite the early advantage, Spurs looked shaky at times. Micky van de Ven denied Nicolas Pépé with a key block, while Tajon Buchanan and Richarlison both missed good chances. Pape Matar Sarr forced a solid save from Junior, who otherwise had a mixed night.
Villarreal pushed hard in the second half, but Tottenham’s defence, led by Van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur, held firm.
The game also marked a controversial return to English football for Thomas Partey, who came on late for Villarreal ahead of a London court appearance on rape and sexual assault charges.
Tottenham’s performance was far from flawless, echoing concerns from their recent loss to Bournemouth. Still, the win extends their unbeaten home run in Europe to 21 games and gives Frank a positive start in the group stage.