Tottenham Hotspur delivered an impressive pre-season display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, comfortably beating Hoffenheim 3-0 thanks to goals from Richarlison and a brace from teenage winger Mikey Moore.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 35th minute through a well-constructed move. Sandro Tonali's sharp turn and driving run set the play in motion, eventually finding Andy Robertson, whose deflected cross from the left was expertly turned home by Richarlison, who anticipated the deflection to fire past the goalkeeper.
Spurs doubled their advantage shortly after the restart when Mikey Moore got ahead of his marker to convert a cross from Mathys Tel, continuing his strong pre-season form. The two combined again in the 80th minute, with Tel this time providing the assist for Moore to slot the ball into the bottom corner and complete his brace, sealing a 3-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was called into action before halftime, producing a smart save to preserve the clean sheet, though he looked occasionally uneasy when playing out from the back.
In defence, Archie Gray once again wore the captain's armband, a decision reflecting the trust placed in him by manager Roberto De Zerbi throughout preseason. Gray was solid defensively, though he allowed Moore freedom going forward. Alongside him, Marcos Senesi made his first start partnered with Jan Paul van Hecke, and the pairing looked assured, with Senesi making several composed interventions and line-breaking passes. Van Hecke, the summer signing, played a more advanced role among the centre-backs, pushing forward while Senesi covered behind him, giving the backline a strong physical presence.
Robertson was a constant menace down the left flank, his early crosses causing problems for the visitors throughout the first half, including the delivery that led to the opener.
In midfield, Tonali stood out as one of the game's best performers, involved in build-up play, tracking back to help defensively, and making intelligent third-man runs throughout the match. His performance suggested he is settling in well following his move to the club. Conor Gallagher put in a steady if unspectacular shift, dropping deep to win fouls and receive the ball under pressure but struggling to create clear chances. Lucas Bergvall impressed with his composure under pressure near his own box and provided several driving runs through midfield before tiring in the second half.
Up front, Tel continued to build on an encouraging preseason, growing into the game as it progressed. His desire to get into dangerous areas was central to Tottenham's second goal, and he linked up again with Moore for the third. Richarlison, meanwhile, opened the scoring with a well-taken finish but had a quieter game in terms of link-up play, struggling at times to hold the ball up when dropping deep — an area of his game that will need refinement under De Zerbi's system.
Several young players were introduced late on, including Tyrese Hall, Malachi Hardy, Reiss Elliott-Parris, Jamie Donley, and Miracle Adewole, though their impact was limited given the time available. Goalkeepers Austin and Byrne, along with defender Takai, remained unused substitutes.
The comprehensive win offers Tottenham fans plenty of encouragement heading into the new season, with performances from Tonali, Moore, and the reshaped centre-back pairing all standing out as positive signs of progress under De Zerbi.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.