Spurs stay perfect at home with Slavia win | OneFootball

Tottenham boosted their chances of finishing in the Champions League top eight with a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague in north London, extending their perfect home record in the competition this season.

Spurs were far from flawless on the night, but made their pressure count at key moments, with an own goal followed by two second-half penalties sealing the points.

The hosts made a fast start and were on the front foot inside the opening minute, Jindrich Stanek producing an excellent save to tip Richarlison’s close-range header over the bar. Tottenham dominated possession throughout the first half but found clear chances hard to come by against a disciplined Slavia defence.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 26 minutes in fortuitous fashion. From a Pedro Porro corner, Cristian Romero’s flick-on was headed into his own net by David Zima, leaving Stanek helpless and gifting Spurs the lead.

Despite going into the interval ahead, there was a sense of unease about the openness of the contest, with Slavia continuing to threaten on the counter and forcing Guglielmo Vicario into action.

The hosts settled matters early in the second half when Youssoupha Sanyang was penalised for a challenge inside the box, allowing Mohammed Kudus to calmly convert from the spot and double the advantage. 

Any lingering doubt was removed late on when Igoh Ogbu brought down Xavi Simons in the area. The Dutchman picked himself up and slotted home the penalty to make it 3-0 and wrap up the win.

It marked Tottenham’s third home victory in as many Champions League matches, all without conceding, and lifts Thomas Frank’s side to ninth for now. With trips to Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to come in January, Spurs remain well placed in the race for automatic qualification to the last 16.

Incidents: The story of the match

Tottenham Official Line-ups:

Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Cristián Romero, Micky van de Ven, João Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison

Slavia Praha Official Line-ups:

Jindrich Stanek, David Doudera, Tomás Holes, Stepán Chaloupek, David Zima, Igoh Ogbu, Youssoupha Sanyang, Michal Sadílek, David Moses, Mojmir Chytil, Lukas Provod

1':

The match begins

12':

Opportunity wasted. Lukás Provod from Slavia Prague attempted a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area but failed to find the target. The assist came from Youssoupha Sanyang after a quick counterattack.

12':

Missed opportunity! Lukás Provod from Slavia Prague took a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it went wide. The chance was set up by Youssoupha Sanyang after a quick counterattack.

23':

Missed opportunity! Michal Sadílek from Slavia Prague attempted a header from the center of the box but failed to find the target. The cross was delivered by David Doudera.

23':

Missed opportunity! Michal Sadílek from Slavia Prague attempted a header from the center of the penalty area but failed to find the target. The assist came from David Doudera, who delivered a cross into the box.

26':

Missed opportunity! Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur attempted a header from the center of the box, but it went just wide. The chance was set up by Pedro Porro, who delivered a cross following a corner kick.

26':

GOAL Slavia Praha: David Zima (Slavia Praha) socres an own goal!

Tottenham Hotspur leads Slavia Prague 2-0. Mohammed Kudus from Tottenham Hotspur successfully scores the penalty, striking the ball with his left foot straight down the middle of the goal.

50':

GOALTottenham: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham) scores penalty-kick!

Mohammed Kudus scores goal number 1 in the competition (5 matches)

Tottenham Hotspur leads Slavia Prague 3-0. Xavi Simons from Tottenham Hotspur successfully scores the penalty, placing a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner.

79':

GOALTottenham: Xavi Simons (Tottenham) scores penalty-kick!

Xavi Simons scores goal number 1 in the competition (6 matches)

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match