Important home win against Frankfurt - on-the-whistle report

We climbed to top spot in Group D after a first-half comeback helped us to an important 3-2 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening.

Despite falling behind to the German outfit, we rallied in some style with Heung-Min Son netting twice and Harry Kane converting a penalty to put us in control at half-time. Frankfurt were reduced to 10 men when Tuta was sent off and they pulled a goal back late on, while Kane then missed a second spot-kick in a frantic final few minutes.

The visitors struck first on 14 minutes when Eric Dier’s heavy touch inside the area allowed Jesper Lindstrom to nip in and steal the ball, his low cross was cut out by Hugo Lloris but Sebastian Rode was on hand to roll the loose ball to Daichi Kamada who slotted home.

We were level six minutes later though, Kane sliding the perfect pass to release Son on goal and he produced a composed finish to beat Kevin Trapp. And we turned it around from the penalty spot on 28 minutes. Kane was bundled over inside the area by Kristijan Jakic but Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande waved play on until VAR advised him to review the decision on the pitchside monitor, after which he awarded the spot-kick. Kane stepped up and drilled past Trapp for 2-1.

Lloris made a smart save low down to his right to keep out Lindstrom’s angled drive and four minutes later, we extended our lead in style, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg clipping over a cross from the right and Son smashing a fierce volley home from 15 yards.

Frankfurt’s chances of getting back into the game suffered a blow when Tuta was dismissed just before the hour mark after picking up two bookings in two minutes, both for fouls on Son. They still carried a threat though and Lloris had to produce a magnificent save to tip Lindstrom’s curling effort over the bar at full stretch, before they reduced the deficit when substitute Faride Alidou headed in a corner with three minutes left.

That set up a nervy end, which could have changed had Kane not blazed his second penalty over the bar in stoppage time after substitute Bryan Gil was tripped in the area by Hrvoje Smolcic. Alidou tested Lloris with a low 20-yard effort in the final seconds, but the skipper held firm to secure three big points. And, with Sporting losing at home to Marseille, it means victory over the Portuguese side on matchday five will see us through to the knockout stages.

'We created a lot of chances'

Antonio Conte told SPURSPLAY: "In my opinion, we played really well, created a lot of chances to score, scored three goals and had many chances. Their goalkeeper was their best player. Then, to see the final part of the game was really difficult. We can learn a lot from what happened at the end, because we need to know very well, me and the players, that the game is never finished until the referee whistles three times. We dropped our level of attention because we considered the game ended. It’s good to speak because the game finished with a win but, for sure, we have to analyse and to be better next time, everybody."

Reaction on SPURSPLAY

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Son 20, 36, Kane 28 (pen); Eintracht Frankfurt – Kamada 14, Alidou 87.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Dier, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Eintracht Frankfurt – Tuta, Hasebe, Smolcic.

Red card: Eintracht Frankfurt - Tuta.

Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain).

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Light rain showers, gentle breeze, 14 degrees.

Attendance: 55,180.