Front three stars steer Spurs in key Champions League win over Frankfurt

LONDON -- Son Heung-Min's brace and Harry Kane's punishment gave Tottenham Hotspur a important 3-2 win implicit Eintracht Frankfurt connected Wednesday and took a large measurement towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Initially down aboriginal against the defending Europa League champions acknowledgment to a extremity from Daichi Kamada, Spurs rallied acknowledgment to 2 goals from Son, some scored connected either broadside of Kane's punishment from the spot.

Frankfurt were reduced to 10 men astatine the hr people erstwhile defender Tuta was sent disconnected for his 2nd booking successful a substance of minutes aft doubly fouling Son.

Faride Alidou's precocious header pulled 1 backmost for the German broadside disconnected a country footwear and Kane past missed a punishment successful stoppage time, but Spurs held connected for the win.

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The triumph enactment Antonio Conte's broadside apical of Group D connected 7 points successful a choky race. Marseille and Sporting CP are tied connected six points, but Frankfurt besides stay successful the hunt connected 4 with 2 games near to play.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Son, Kane, Richarlison radiance successful win

Son Heung-Min inspired Tottenham to a important 3-2 Champions League triumph against Eintracht Frankfurt connected a nighttime erstwhile Antonio Conte's beforehand 3 proved excessively blistery for past season's Europa League winners to handle.

Two goals from Son and a Harry Kane punishment -- the England skipper blew the accidental to marque it 4-2 from the spot erstwhile helium sent a 2nd punishment implicit the crossbar connected 90 minutes -- secured the triumph against Frankfurt, who mislaid defender Tuta to a reddish paper connected 61 minutes.

Frankfurt opened the scoring done Daichi Kamada connected 14 minutes and past ensured a tense ending to the crippled erstwhile substitute Faride Alidou headed successful to marque it 3-2 connected 87 minutes, but Spurs had already done capable to triumph the crippled and determination apical of Group D acknowledgment to their in-form beforehand 3 of Son, Kane and Richarlison.

It was Kane who created the opener for Son earlier putting Spurs up from the spot. Son's 36th infinitesimal volley from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's transverse enactment the crippled beyond Frankfurt, but portion helium didn't people oregon make immoderate of Tottenham's goals, Richarlison's publication was hugely important for Antonio Conte's team. The erstwhile Everton forward, playing conscionable down Son and Kane, was each vigor and tenacity, making runs to make abstraction for his attacking teammates.

And the abstraction helium opened up allowed Son and Kane to carve retired much chances successful the second-half, with lone goalkeeper Kevin Trapp denying the location broadside a much emphatic winning margin. Kane, Son and Richarlison present person 16 goals betwixt them this play and portion Kane has much than fractional of them (9), the corporate spot of Conte's beforehand 3 was evident against Frankfurt.

2. Conte should beryllium pleased Spurs didn't wobble

Football is afloat of cliches and 1 of the astir commonly-aired is the 1 astir Tottenham being a brushed interaction and a squad that ever crumbles erstwhile the unit is on.

The aged 'Spursy' tag has faded successful caller years, but nether Antonio Conte, it doesn't use and we saw impervious of that against Eintracht Frankfurt. When the Bundesliga broadside took a 14th infinitesimal pb done Kamada, it looked similar atrocious quality for Spurs against a broadside that had won six of their past 7 European distant games. That tally included victories astatine Barcelona and West Ham United connected the mode to winning past season's Europa League.

So Spurs faced adversity against a squad accustomed to winning connected the roadworthy successful Europe and conceding aboriginal besides enactment Tottenham's Group D hopes successful jeopardy. But Spurs didn't panic. On the contrary, they held their nervus and equalised done Son wrong six minutes of Frankfurt's opener. From that constituent on, Spurs were successful power and they produced a mature show to eventual flooded a Frankfurt squad built successful their ain representation -- 3 astatine the backmost and plentifulness of gait successful guardant positions.

Spurs person had their wobbles this season, including a 2-0 decision astatine Sporting connected match-day 2 and the North London derby decision against Arsenal, but they are present showing the resilient qualities that Conte demands from his teams and it makes Tottenham a menace to the apical clubs successful this season's Champions League.

3. Despite win, the radical remains up for grabs

Spurs took an important measurement towards qualifying for the knock-out stages by beating Frankfurt, and ending a 5-game winless treak against German absorption successful the Champions League, but Group D could inactive extremity up with immoderate of the 4 teams finishing apical -- oregon bottom.

With each squad picking up astatine slightest 1 triumph truthful far, it is the tightest of each 8 groups this play and the array could beryllium turned connected its caput again connected match-day 5 adjacent week. Spurs look Sporting astatine home, having mislaid to the Portuguese squad successful Lisbon, portion Frankfurt volition big Marseille needing to repetition their earlier triumph successful Stade Velodrome to clasp immoderate anticipation of finishing successful the apical two.

All 4 teams successful the radical person showcased their champion and worst, truthful it would beryllium foolish to foretell however it volition each crook out. But Spurs person enactment themselves successful the driving spot and they could seal qualification adjacent week if they decision Sporting successful London, leaving the remainder to combat it retired for 2nd spot connected match-day six.

The bully quality is that each 4 sides person thing to play for, truthful thing tin inactive hap successful Group D.

Player ratings

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris ; Romero 6, Dier 6, Lenglet 7; Emerson 7, Hojbjerg 7, Bentancur 6, Sessegnon 7; Richarlison 8, Kane 8, Son 9.
Subs: Skipp 6, Bissouma 6, Sanchez 6, Lucas Moura 6, Gil 6.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp 7; Tuta 5, Hasebe 7, N'Dicka 6; Jakic 6, Rode 6, Sow 6, Lenz 6; Lindstrom 6, Kamada 7; Kolo Muani 6.
Subs: Ebimbe 6, Smolcic 6, Alidou 7, Gotze 6, Borre 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Son Heung-Min, Tottenham Hotspur.

The Tottenham guardant was sensational and made his aboriginal play signifier slump look a distant memory. When helium is connected apical of his game, Son tin beryllium unplayable. He scored doubly against Frankfurt and could person had a hat-trick.

WORST: Tuta, Eintracht Frankfurt.

Trailing 3-1 and needing a disciplined show to person immoderate anticipation of getting backmost into the game, Tuta's sending disconnected for 2 yellowish cards connected 61 minutes was a hammer stroke for Eintracht. It near his squad with an intolerable upland to climb.

Highlights and notable moments

Son Heung-Min HIT that! 🚀😳 pic.twitter.com/WllAsYT1VI

That ace volley from Son was the champion extremity crossed a memorable matchday successful Champions League.

After the match: What the managers, players said

Tottenham brag Antonio Conte, to BT Sport: "We scored bully goals. We suffered. We had to effort to grip the situation. We had to enactment successful the game.

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Harry Kane has tied Steven Gerrard (21) for 5th astir goals successful Champions League past among English men.

- Son Heung-Min has his 5th vocation multi-goal crippled successful Champions League, but helium has ne'er had a chapeau instrumentality successful the competition.

Up next

Tottenham Hotspur: Will big Everton connected Saturday and past question to Manchester adjacent Wednesday. Another Premier League lucifer connected Oct. 23 with Newcastle United visiting earlier hosting Sporting CP connected Oct. 26 successful Champions League.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Bayer Leverkusen astatine location connected Saturday successful Bundesliga enactment earlier a travel to Stuttgarter Kickers successful a German Cup lucifer connected Tuesday.