A composed performance from Tottenham Hotspur in Germany sealed their place in the Champions League’s last 16, overcoming a spirited but struggling Eintracht Frankfurt side.
The match’s decisive moment arrived shortly after halftime. Cristian Romero rose unchallenged to head a Xavi Simons delivery back across goal, where Randal Kolo Muani was waiting to volley home. The goal held a personal significance for the striker, who once starred for the Bundesliga club, and it effectively settled the contest.
Spurs managed the game with authority from that point forward, their defensive solidity never truly threatened. The hosts, embroiled in a domestic crisis and already eliminated from European contention, offered little beyond persistent vocal support from their fans. A late strike from substitute Dominic Solanke, capitalizing on a defensive error, provided the final margin in a 2-0 victory.
The win caps a successful European group stage campaign for the London club, which stands in stark contrast to their recent domestic struggles. Manager Thomas Frank pointed to his team’s continental form as a source of pride, highlighting their defensive record and tactical discipline.
“The application from the players was excellent,” Frank stated post-match. “We controlled the game, progressed the ball well, and got the result we needed. The clean sheet is a testament to the organization.”
While Frankfurt enjoyed a brief spell of pressure, including a Hugo Larsson effort that struck the crossbar just before the break, they were largely second-best. Tottenham created the clearer opportunities throughout, with Wilson Odobert hitting the post and Simons seeing a first-half finish disallowed.
The result confirms Tottenham’s progression as one of the competition’s top-eight group finishers, granting them a direct berth into the knockout phase and a respite from the playoff round.