Eintracht-Tottenham ends in goalless draw
The 2022/23 UEFA Champions' League Group D tightened up considerably on Tuesday night as Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur played to a goalless draw at Deutsche Bank Park.
German Champions' League representatives Eintracht Frankfurt remain tied for second-place with EPL side Tottenham Hotspur after drawing their Tuesday night encounter 0-0. A loss for Sporting Lisbon (1-4 at Olympique Marseille) means that all four teams are within striking distance of top spot with half of the group stage completed.
SGE trainer Oliver Glasner made two changes to the XI that delivered a convincing 2-0 league victory over 1. FC Union Berlin on the weekend. Mario Götze was unavailable to to lingering issues with his ankle. Djibril Sow took Götze's place in the lineup. Daichi Kamada moved up from central midfield to take Götze's place behind Randal Kolo Muani and alongside Jesper Lindstrøm. Surprisingly enough, Kristijan Jakic was passed fit enough to start. The Croatian took Luca Pellegrini's place in the lineup, with Ansgar Knauff moving over to left wingback.
The EPL guests were able to get some early penetration on Knauff's side in the form of their right wingback Emerson Royal. The Brazilian swept past the German youth international several times in the opening 12 minutes, ultimately failing to find the finish on a couple of occasions. Harry Kane just failed to meet a Heung-Min Son cross early on. At the other end of the pitch, Frankfurt weren't able to make much of a series of corners earned around the 20th.
Antonio Conte's Spurs then proceeded to take control of the game. Eintracht were pinned back in their own half for much of the duration of the opening 45. Thankfully for the hosts, the Japanese duo of Kamada and Makoto Hasebe were alert defensively and frequently able to intervene before matters got truly dangerous. SGE defender Tuta got between Kane and a few promising balls into the box as well. Son flashed over in the 40th. Kevin Trapp had to punch away a corner in the 43rd. Hasebe made a vital tackle on Richarlison in the 45th.
Having withstood the onslaught at the the end of the first half, the German hosts emerged from the tunnel with much more attacking ambition. After several pushes deep into Tottenham territory, Knauff forced a parry out of Hugo Lloris in the 50th. The visiting English side were able to punch back a bit, yet still couldn't manage a shot on goal. At the other end, Lindstrøm came close with a pair of chances near the hour mark.
As both coaches began to introduce substitutes, the game flattened out significantly. Spurs were still unable to record a shot on target down the stretch, while Glasner's men tightened up in a 3-6-1; evidently content with the draw. The German Eagles get set to face VfL Bochum in the league on Saturday before heading to White Hart Lane for the return fixture next week.