Perfect home record in Champions League continues

We maintained our perfect home record in this season’s Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague on Tuesday evening.

A first-half own goal from David Zima – which proved to be our 100th goal in the Champions League Proper – was followed by successful penalties after the break from Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, their first goals in the competition for us.

Had it not been for an impressive performance from Slavia’s goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek, we would have won by more, as he made a string of fine saves to deny Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Simons. The Dutch midfielder won the man of the match award after another fine display in front of the returning Heung-Min Son, back ‘home’ to say his goodbyes after leaving us while on pre-season tour last summer. The result means we’ve won all three Champions League games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season without conceding and currently sit ninth in the League Phase table, ahead of Wednesday night’s fixtures.

Looking for a fast start, we should have scored inside the first minute when Odobert got to the byline and delivered the perfect cut-back for Richarlison, who hit a first time shot but somehow Stanek got a touch on the ball to divert it over the bar. He was there to deny us again in the 11th minute, Cristian Romero with a ball over the top for Kudus, who shrugged off the defender but Stanek saved for another corner. From that set-piece, Slavia managed a quick counter but Lucas Provod was well off target with the eventual shot. Straight up the other end, Archie Gray and Xavi did well to get the ball to Richarlison and his right-footed effort from 25 yards was pushed away by a diving Stanek.

Chances kept coming for both sides, the visitors with the next effort as Provod had time to carry the ball forwards after a short free-kick and hit a low 20-yard shot which Guglielmo Vicario did well to keep out low down to his left. Somehow the ball stayed out of the Slavia net again in the 21st minute, Kudus with good skill to beat his man down the right and his low cross was touched over his own crossbar by Tomas Holes, facing his own goal.

The back and forth continued, the visitors with another chance when Michal Sadilek sent a near-post header just off target before the opening goal finally came with 26 minutes gone. Pedro Porro’s corner was flicked on by Romero and Zima tried to clear but headed into his own net instead. Vicario then made another good save to keep out Youssoupha Sanyang’s effort from distance while Sadilek should have been more clinical when set up by Igoh Ogbu in the 38th minute, but his scuffed shot was easy for our number one and we went in ahead by one at the break.

The second period was just three minutes old when we were awarded a penalty, Sanyang with a late tackle on Pedro Porro as he went to cross the ball and Kudus stepped up to confidently dispatch the spot-kick past Stanek to double our lead. It was almost 3-0 moments later, Archie Gray releasing Odobert inside the area down the left but Stanek made a good save to deny him. Stanek then produced a quick-fire double stop to keep out shots from substitutes Tel and Pape Matar Sarr just after the hour mark.

With his good friend Son watching on from the stands, Ben Davies came off the bench for the final 20 minutes for his first club appearance of the season following an injury lay-off, while we extended our lead 12 minutes from time with another penalty. This one came about at the end of a neat move, Lucas Bergvall clipping a ball in to Randal Kolo Muani who chested down to Xavi and he was tripped by Ogbu inside the box. The Dutch international picked himself and took the kick, drilling right-footed into the bottom corner.

The visitors nearly pulled one back in the closing stages when a cross from the right flicked off Tel and found Christos Zafeiris at the back post but he volleyed into the side-netting under pressure from Djed Spence. A couple more chances fell our way in the final minutes, Spence first with a fierce drive saved by Stanek, who then got the merest of touches to tip away Tel’s effort from a tight angle. The last action came at the other end, Muhammed Cham hitting one from distance which was straight at Vicario as we preserved the clean sheet on another good night in N17.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Zima (OG) 26, Kudus 50 (pen), Xavi 79 (pen).

Yellow cards: Spurs – van de Ven, Palhinha; Slavia – Ogbu, Sanyang, Zima, Chaloupek.

Referee: Benoit Bastien (France).

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Partly cloudy, gentle breeze, 13 degrees.

Attendance: 47,281.