Adam Clery Football Column. A newsletter that unpacks the absurdities and oddities of the beautiful gameThe ACFC newsletter: unpacking football’s absurditiesUnpack football’s oddities with the ACFC newsletterSecond-half penalties by Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons helped Tottenham to a routine 3-0 win over Slavia Prague to keep alive their Champions League top-eight prospects.Buoyed by Saturday’s much-needed home victory over Brentford, Thomas Frank watched Spurs make it back-to-back triumphs in front of their own fans after David Zima’s 26th-minute own goal set the hosts on the path to three points.Kudus’ 50th-minute penalty virtually made the game safe before Xavi added gloss with his spot-kick with 11 minutes left to move Tottenham temporarily up to ninth in the league phase ahead of next month’s final two matches against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.Spurs invited Europa League-winning captain Son Heung-min back for this fixture to say an official goodbye after his pre-season departure and after his mural was unveiled on the High Road earlier in the day, the club great addressed the home crowd moments before kick-off.Son being serenaded was followed by a fast start and Tottenham nearly went ahead after 36 seconds.Wilson Odobert, one of only two changes from Saturday, raced past David Doudera and picked out Richarlison but his first-time shot was deflected over by the shoulder of Slavia goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek.It was a wonderful save and Kudus tested Stanek soon after before the in-form Richarlison had a 25-yard effort pushed wide.open image in gallery(Action Images via Reuters)Slavia had failed to score in four of their previous five league fixtures but demonstrated their capability when Lukas Provod sent a half-volley wide.Micky van de Ven was then booked for dissent, ruling him out of next month’s visit of Dortmund, and worse almost followed when Guglielmo Vicario had to get down low to save Provod’s latest effort.When Michal Sadilek headed over Doudera’s cross moments later for Slavia, the home crowd started to show signs of being restless, but the opener arrived for Spurs after 26 minutes.open image in gallery(AP)Pedro Porro’s corner was flicked on by captain Cristian Romero and Zima inadvertently headed into his own net for Tottenham’s 100th goal in the Champions League.Spurs failed to build on the breakthrough, though, as Vicario saved from Youssoupha Sanyang and Sadilek before half-time.Frank would…
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2025-12-09 22:40:07
