Thomas Frank marked his first Champions League match in charge of Tottenham with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, secured by a calamitous fourth-minute own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
Under no pressure, Junior fumbled Lucas Bergvall's cross into his own net to give the hosts a dream start in front of their own fans on their return to the competition for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
Dream Start, Familiar Failings
The goal was Spurs' fastest in the history of the tournament and the spine-tingling atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had barely simmered down before the ball squirmed in. Yet rather than kick on, Frank's side lived dangerously, with Micky van de Ven required to make a crucial intervention to deny ex-Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe a curling effort, and Tajon Buchanan dragging wide when he looked certain to score.