Son Heung-Min scored a brace as Tottenham fought back to beat ten-man Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 and go top of Group D in the Champions League.
Daichi Kamada gave the visitors a shock lead after Eric Dier’s poor touch at the back let the Eintracht frontline in, Sebastian Rode squaring for his Japanese team-mate to slot into an empty net.
But their lead was short-lived as the hosts bounced back, Harry Kane picking out Son with a wonderful through-ball, the South Korean converting calmly from the edge of the box.
It was all square at the half-hour mark before Kane went down in the box. Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande initially waved play on, but overturned his initial decision after a nudge from VAR and Kane stepped up and lashed home to give his side the lead.
And it was all Spurs for the rest of the first half, as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg teed up Son for a brilliant volley in the box for his second and hosts’ third.
Fine saves from Kevin Trapp kept Eintracht in the match as Ryan Sessegnon was thwarted and Son was denied a hat-trick by the German shot-stopper.
And while Brazilian defender Tuta was shown two yellow cards in three minutes to make life even more difficult for the visitors, substitute Faride Alidou rose highest for a header to pull one back on his Champions League debut.
Cue pandemonium in the away end as Eintracht raced for an equaliser, but it was Spurs who had a penalty just minutes later to kill the game off.
Incredibly, Kane hit his penalty over the crossbar to keep Eintracht’s hopes alive in the dying minutes, and while the visitors threw themselves forward Spurs were able to see out the electric contest for all three points.
MAN OF THE MATCH – SON HEUNG-MIN
Eintracht has no answer to a brilliant 15 minutes in the first half from the South Korean. That was all it took and he could have had a hat-trick but for a brilliant save. There’s few better in world football than Son on form.
TALKING POINT – UNPREDICTABLE SPURS
There are times when this Tottenham team looks like it is full of identity, chasing down balls aggressively in the mould of any good Antonio Conte side. That’s what we saw in the first half.
Then, there’s the other Spurs. There’s the Spurs that looked toothless against Arsenal a fortnight ago, and the Spurs that could barely put two passes together against ten-man Frankfurt. The Spurs that almost threw this game away.
If they want to compete for silverware, they have to lose the latter, because it’ll cost them plenty of points. They got away with it tonight.
PLAYER RATINGS
Spurs: Lloris 7, Lenglet 6, Dier 6, Romero 7, Sessegnon 7, Bentacur 6, Hojbjerg 7, Emerson 5, Richarlison 6, Son 8, Kane 7. Subs. Bissouma 6, Skipp 5, Sanchez n/a, Moura n/a, Gil n/a.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp 7, Ndicka 6, Hasebe 7, Tuta 5, Jakoc 6, Rode 7, Sow 5, Lenz 5, Lindstrom 6, Kamada 7, Muani 6. Subs. Borre 6, Ebimbe 5, Alidou 5, Smolcic 6, Gotze n/a.
KEY MOMENTS
14′ – GOAL! SPURS 0 EINTRACHT 1 (Kamada). The visitors take the lead!!! Dier takes the poorest of touches at the back and Eintracht’s frontline capitalise. Lloris gets his hand to Muani’s initial effort but Rode then squares the rebound to Kamada who slots into an empty net. Far too relaxed from Dier after a very ropey yellow card too. The fixture gets a goal!
20′ – GOAL! SPURS 1 EINTRACHT 1 (Son). There it is!!! It’s the old Kane to Son partnership. The England man lays on a through-ball for the South Korean and Son unleashes from the edge of the box to equalise. We’re back level!
28′ – GOAL! SPURS 2 EINTRACHT 1 (Kane). Trapp gets a hand to it but Kane’s penalty is just too good and Spurs have the lead!
36′ – GOAL! SPURS 3 EINTRACHT 1 (Son). WHAT A HIT! Hojbjerg does the work down the right and clips in a lovely cross for Son who then absolutely hammers a volley past Trapp. It’s a lethal strike. He’s made that look easy but the technique is world class.
60′ – TUTA SENT OFF FOR EINTRACHT! A second yellow in three minutes and Tuta’s off! A slightly delayed red because it looks as though the ref forgot he’d booked Tuta just moments earlier. But Tuta has grabbed hold of Son there, arms around his waist, and the South Korean was potentially through on goal too. It’s the right decision.
87′ – GOAL! SPURS 3 EINTRACHT 2 (Alidou). A hope? A chance? Alidou on his Champions League debut gets his head on a corner and reduces the deficit. A nervy final few in north London!
90+2′ – PENALTY MISSED! Harry Kane hits it over the crossbar! Crazy game this.
