Villarreal frustrated by Tottenham Hotspur as Champions League points slip through hands | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Villarreal

The lead up to Villarreal’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night was dominated by questions surrounding Thomas Partey, provoking the irritation of manager Marcelino Garcia Toral. The game after it, which he was keen to focus on, will have done little more for his mood.

Villarreal’s return to European football did not get off to the most auspicious of starts, with a Lucas Bergvall cross turned into his own net by Luiz Junior in a disheartening mistake after just four minutes. The Yellow Submarine spent the best part of the game proving that they did belong at that level though, even if they struggled to trouble the scoresheet.

While Spurs did have spells of danger in the first half, Villarreal probably felt they had the better of the chances. A Nicolas Pepe effort was narrowly deflected out by a defender, and Tajon Buchanan could only find the wrong side of the post after a lovely move worked the ball to him on the left.

Villarreal onslaught never arrived

Villarreal started the second half on the front foot too, pressing higher, and troubling the Spurs defence. Pepe had another effort curl wide of the post from the right corner of the box, and despite their good play, they could not find clearer openings. That is not to say that Tottenham weren’t dangerous in their own regard in an open match, but Junior was not worked for some time.

Image via Andy Rain / EFE

Marcelino may also be conscious of the fact that when Villarreal needed to turn up the temperature in the final stages, his side struggled to force Guglielmo Vicario into saves. Pepe whistled a free-kick wide after Georges Mikautadze provoked a foul on the edge of the box, in a neat but unspectacular European debut.

The Yellow Submarine will head home, without Partey, who came on to whistles late on, and without any points despite an even game. Villarreal face Osasuna next in La Liga, but know that the pressure is now on to pick up points at home to Juventus in their next European outing.