Son scores twice to lead Spurs to 3-2 win over Frankfurt

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Son scores twice to lead Spurs to 3-2 win over Frankfurt

Published: 13 Oct. 2022, 09:21 Updated: 13 Oct. 2022, 12:35

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min scores his second goal to give his team a 3-1 lead in a Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Wednesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min found the back of the net twice to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, allowing the London club to rise to the top of Group D after a fairly rocky start to the competition.

Spurs made hard work of the win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, falling behind in the 14th minute and allowing their lead to start to slowly slip away in the final 15 minutes of the game.

But Son and Harry Kane were on hand to secure the win, scoring three goals in 16 minutes to save the day and put a draw just out of Frankfurt’s reach.

Daichi Kamada was first to score for Frankfurt in the action-packed first half, finding his spot in his crowded spot to beat Hugo Lloris and give the visitors the lead.

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores his side's first goal during a Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London on Wednesday. [AP/YONHAP]

Spurs were quick to respond, with Kane picking out Son out in front in the 20th minute. The Korean international slipped through between a couple of defenders and calmly tapped the ball past Kevin Trapp’s outstretched hand and into the back of the net.

Kane had a chance of his own just a few minutes later when a VAR review of a clumsy challenge in the box earned him a penalty that he sent flying past Trapp and into the back of the net to give Spurs a 2-1 lead.

The onslaught continued 10 minutes later. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired a cross into the box from the right wing, allowing Son to smash a ferocious volley into the Frankfurt net to take the score to 3-1.

After the flurry of goals, things died down quickly. Tottenham were unable to get anything across for the rest of the first half, and struggled to make an impact in the second, even after Frankfurt’s Tuta was sent off with two yellow cards for fouls on Son.

Son was substituted in the 86th minute to allow Lucas Moura his first appearance on the trip after a lengthy injury absence, and just a minute later Frankfurt’s Faride Alidou knocked in a goal of his own to narrow the gap to 3-2.

Kane then missed a penalty in the 92nd minute and Alidou came very close to scoring an equalizer seconds before the whistle blew, but Lloris was able to save the attempt and allow Spurs to walk away with the narrow win.

Speaking after the game, Spurs manager Antonio Conte said the squad played well in the first half, but failed to maintain that momentum until the final whistle.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min, center, celebrates with Richarlison, right, and Ryan Sessegnon after scoring Spurs' third goal in a Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Wednesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

“The game finishes when the referee whistles three times,” Conte said. “In the last part of the game, everybody conceded the game ended and for this reason we made a big mistake.

“We conceded a corner they scored, then we had the opportunity to score the penalty but we missed the penalty. When we missed the penalty honestly, I was a bit scared, because I thought everything can happen.

“We are talking about a really good performance but the final part we have to take a big lesson, everybody. Myself and the players, everybody conceded the game ended.”

With the win, Tottenham rise to the top of Group D with two wins, a draw and a loss, beating Marseille and Sporting Lisbon by a single point. In the first legs, Spurs beat Marseille, lost to Sporting and drew with Frankfurt.

Wednesday’s performance is also a promising sign for Son, who has been struggling to overcome a fairly slow start to the 2022-23 season.

The brace against Frankfurt marks his first goals in the Champions League this season, but takes him up to five goals and two assists across all competitions.

After getting an assist in the opening game of the season, Son, the 2012-22 Premier League Golden Boot winner, stayed silent for five games, before finally hammering home a hat-trick on Sept. 17. Returning from the international break last week, Son picked up another assist on Oct. 8.

Spurs will be back in action this weekend as they take on Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. They have a break from the Champions League next week, and will instead face Manchester United in a mid-week league fixture on Wednesday, before taking on Newcastle on Sunday.

After that run of league fixtures, Spurs will return to the Champions League to face Sporting at home on Oct. 26.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]