Joao Palhinha stars, 5/10 falters on return – Tottenham player ratings vs Frankfurt
Tottenham secured a 2-0 win in the Champions League against Frankfurt.
With Thomas Frank under increasing pressure at Tottenham, it was crucial that Spurs got not only a result against Frankfurt but also showcased a great improvement in performance.
After Xavi Simons had the ball in the back of the net in the first few minutes, it looked as though Spurs were going to get both of those things, though the goal was ruled out due to a foul by Destiny Uodgie.
Instead, Tottenham had to wait until the 47th-minute to open the scoring, courtesy of Randal Kolo Muani from close range after Cristian Romero nodded the ball back into the six-yard box.
Spurs had several other half-chances, but a lack of cutting edge prevented them from taking full advantage of them, until Dominic Solanke’s introduction saw him double their advantage just four minutes after coming on.
The win means that Tottenham have qualified for the next round of the Champions League.
Joao Palhinha shines vs Frankfurt
Joao Palhinha has often showcased a few frailties in his game and has received criticism as a result.
But on this occasion, he was certainly more than worth the praise, having put in a top-level performance in the Champions League.
The midfielder completed a remarkable 102 of his 115 attempted passes, with 50 per cent of his attempted long balls also reaching their target.
- Palhinha won the most duels in the game
- Palhinha completed the most passes in the game
Palhinha more than pulled his weight defensively, winning seven tackles and an incredible nine defensive duels.
Frankfurt posed a threat on the counterattack, but the Portuguese midfielder was on hand more often than not to deal with it.
Pape Sarr struggles in advanced role
Pape Sarr was asked to play as more of a 10 for Tottenham on Wednesday, and he did little to showcase his quality in that area.
The Senegal international struggled to create and was wayward with his shooting all night. Only 25 per cent of his shots were on target, and that was a rather tame effort from the edge of the box after a neat lay-off.
Sarr’s passing was generally tidy, with an 84 per cent completion rate, but given the role he played, Tottenham would have wanted to see more, with the midfielder one of only three Spurs players who failed to create a single chance.
Given his role, it’s not ideal.
It wouldn’t be fair to say that it was a poor performance from Sarr, though he needs to show a lot more if he is to make that position his own, especially in the final third.
Tottenham player ratings
Guglielmo Vicario – 6
Djed Spence – 5
Kevin Danso – 6
Cristian Romero – 8
Destiny Udogie – 6 (for Byfield 89′)
Joao Palhinha – 9
Archie Gray – 7
Pape Sarr – 5
Wilson Odobert – 7 (for Solanke 73′)
Xavi Simons – 8
Randal Kolo Muani – 7 (for Scarlett 84′)
Subs
Dominic Solanke – 7 (for Odobert 73′)
Dane Scarlett – N/A (for Kolo Muani 84′)
Junai Byfield – N/A (for Udogie 89′)
Stay ahead of the action — subscribe to Tottenham News on Substack for more exclusive insights and match-day analysis.