After Tottenham and Frankfurt played to a scoreless draw in the Champions League on Tuesday, Tottenham coach Antonio Conte criticized his team’s lack of offensive flair.
Tottenham’s striking pair of Harry Kane and Son Hueng-min, who scored 40 goals between them in the 2021-22 Premier League season, failed to capitalize on several clear chances and were repeatedly booed by the hostile home crowd.
While Conte praised his team’s effort in front of the Frankfurt supporters, he lamented his team’s wasted performance in the first half.
Conte stated, “We need to be more clinical.
“To win in football, you have to score.”
Just prior to kickoff, word spread across the stadium that Sporting Lisbon, the group’s only unbeaten team, had lost 4-1 to Marseille. This meant that any team might tie for first place with a win.
Frankfurt dominated the first half, with Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada tugging the strings up front in place of the injured Mario Goetze.
Captain Sebastian Rode had the best chance of the first half in the 18th minute, when he was set up close to the right of the penalty spot, only for Spurs midfielder Ivan Perisic to get his head to a goalbound effort.
🗣”When you create opportunities, you must be clinical.”
The reaction of the boss after tonight’s draw⤵️ pic.twitter.com/CrCIcI5wuu
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 4, 2022
Tottenham looked more comfortable as the half progressed, appearing to brush off the sour taste of their weekend 3-1 derby defeat against Arsenal, their first of the Premier League season.
Kane had the finest opportunities for the visitors in the first half, but he was unable to connect, scuffing a shot in the 39th minute when he was given an open goal.
Son, Kane’s typical strike partner, took matters into his own hands just one minute later, but his shot went over the crossbar.
Ansgar Knauff, a Dortmund loanee, tried an acrobatic finish in the early stages of the second half while one-on-one with Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Loris, but his effort was unsuccessful. Frankfurt exploded out of the gate after the break.
In the 60th minute, Lindstrom had another wonderful opportunity to open the scoring, but he hammered the ball over the crossbar under little pressure from the Tottenham defense.
Frustration crept in over the latter phases, with Kane receiving a yellow card with five minutes remaining for a charge on Makoto Hasebe.
Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner complimented “world-class” goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and stated his team “could live with a point” after defeating previously unbeaten Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin 2-0.
“Of course, Tottenham is the favorite (in the group), and their offensive is definitely one of the finest in Europe,” Glasner said, looking forward to the rematch next week in London.
“It’s critical to successfully control them and the small areas that Antonio’s side provides you.”
Working hard is our sole secret.
Both teams concluded with a point and are now tied for first place in the group, with the return match in London on October 12 becoming increasingly important.
According to Conte, his team needs to keep in mind how far they’ve come after competing in the Europa Conference League last year.
“We had a fantastic season last year, qualifying for the Champions League.
“We need to take our time building, going step by step, improving and becoming stronger as a squad.
“We put in a lot of work, which makes us competitive. This is the only secret we have.”