Tottenham Hotspur defeated Slavia Prague 3-0 at home in the Champions League, boosting their chances of a top-eight finish in the league phase. The victory featured an own goal and two penalties, marking Spurs' third clean-sheet home win this season. Xavi Simons highlighted the importance of consistency after scoring his second goal in as many games.
Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their Champions League aspirations with a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague on December 9, 2025, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The match kicked off at 20:00 GMT, providing Spurs with a crucial win to climb into the top eight of the league phase ahead of upcoming fixtures against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in January.
The game began with early pressure from Tottenham. Just 45 seconds in, Richarlison headed toward goal, but Slavia Prague goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek tipped it over the bar with a strong save. Spurs dominated possession but struggled to break through Slavia's resilient defense until the 26th minute. Pedro Porro delivered a dangerous corner, which Cristian Romero nodded on, leading to David Zima bizarrely heading the ball into his own net past Stanek. This own goal marked Tottenham's 100th in the Champions League and was their third such goal this season, making own goals their top scorer in the competition.
The first half ended 1-0, with Thomas Frank likely concerned about the open play. Shortly after halftime, Tottenham doubled their lead via a penalty. Youssoufa Sanyang fouled inside the box, allowing Mohammed Kudus to convert from the spot, sending Stanek the wrong way. Slavia had a chance when David Doudera dragged a shot wide, but it was ruled offside.
The game was sealed when Igoh Ogbu clumsily fouled Xavi Simons in the box. The summer signing, who joined for £50 million, took the penalty himself and squeezed it in for 3-0, his second goal in consecutive matches following a 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford.
Post-match, Simons spoke to TNT Sports: “Really happy to win another game at home with the fans. We have to continue, really happy. It’s always a pleasure for me playing Champions League, I’m enjoying my dreams. Really happy to be here.” He added on consistency: “That’s what we’re trying to do. Two games, two wins. The weekend will be a tough game at Nottingham Forest, we hope we can continue this run.”
Manager Thomas Frank praised Simons: “That’s the reason why we signed Xavi. We think he’s a very good player. I think we saw some very nice positive offensive actions, the way he turns, the way he can go past a man.”
This result extended Tottenham's unbeaten run in 22 European home games (W18 D4) and their perfect record against Czech opposition in recent years. Slavia, winless in their last 16 Champions League proper matches, remained goalless in their fourth straight game in the competition.
