Tottenham's Preseason Unbeaten Run Continues with Draw Against Hoffenheim
Tottenham’s unbeaten preseason survived one last test behind closed doors, a 2-2 draw with TSG Hoffenheim at the training ground that felt less like a friendly and more like a fitness laboratory.
Twenty-four hours after a slick 3-0 win over the same Bundesliga side, Roberto De Zerbi ripped up his team sheet, rotated heavily and experimented. The result? A chaotic, oddly compelling game where Spurs twice recovered from early jitters, saw key names return, and watched a teenager steal the show.
Mixed XI, Same Idea
This was not a glamour occasion. No stadium, no big crowd, just a heavily tweaked XI and a manager determined to squeeze minutes out of almost everyone.
James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Souza and Damola Ajayi all made their first appearances of the summer. Kevin Danso and Mateus Fernandes also stepped back in after limited involvement. For a club that has spent most of preseason juggling absences, it felt like the squad was finally knitting together.
The team sheet, though, raised eyebrows. De Zerbi named what looked like an army of central midfielders: three out-and-out CMs, two attacking midfielders, one winger and no recognised striker. On paper it resembled a tactical experiment gone wild.
On the pitch, it was still broadly his preferred 4-2-3-1. Fernandes and Bentancur anchored midfield, Sarr operated as a No 10, Luca Williams-Barnett and Ajayi worked the flanks, and Maddison floated as a false nine. It was functional more than fluid. Maddison dropped deep constantly to help build play, Sarr did the same at times, and the shape bent to accommodate the personnel more than anything else. It wasn’t seamless, but it got bodies on the pitch and legs turning over.
The Mystery of Micky
One name was missing again: Micky van de Ven.
While others with minor issues – Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie – have at least been seen or spoken about, Van de Ven’s total absence from preseason minutes is becoming the big red flag of Spurs’ summer. He returned late from the World Cup with the Netherlands, but not so late that he should still be on the outside looking in while others are already involved.
Given his injury history, the fear is obvious. Spurs can talk about conditioning and load management, but every game that passes without him sharpens the concern. If he is not ready for the start of the season, this defence is immediately weaker.
Hoffenheim Turn the Screw
Hoffenheim knew exactly what they were walking into. Just as they had done in the 3-0 defeat, they pressed high and hunted for mistakes in Spurs’ buildup.
Their focus was clear: right-back Tye Hall and goalkeeper Brandon Austin. Both are competent on the ball, but not as composed as some of their teammates, and Hoffenheim swarmed them whenever the passing lanes tightened.
They repeatedly waited for Austin to feed midfield before springing forward. One of those traps brought the opener. Maddison dropped deep to receive a pass, Leon Avdullahu nicked the ball off him, and Maddison’s attempt to recover turned into a clumsy drag-down in the box. Penalty. Adam Hlozek stepped up and buried it.
It was a reminder that this style carries risk, especially when match-sharpness is missing.
Maddison Rusty, Not Broken
Maddison’s return last season, even half-fit, changed the way Spurs could pass a football. The vision was still there when his legs weren’t.
Here, the pattern was familiar. He drifted in and out of the game, struggling to impose himself consistently but still threading the odd clever ball. The problem was the rust around those flashes. The penalty incident summed it up: slow to react, robbed, then forced into a foul.
Nobody at the club will panic over one scruffy preseason outing, but he clearly needs minutes to climb back to the level Spurs require. The ideas are still in his boots; the sharpness isn’t yet.
Fernandes Starts to Purr
Mateus Fernandes didn’t unleash his full passing armoury in the first half, but he still found ways to influence the game.
From the right, he whipped a low cross just ahead of an onrushing Sarr early on. Later, a short corner routine allowed him to work a one-two before he stood up a delicious cross into the box. Ben Davies attacked it, rose above his marker and headed Spurs level.
After the break, the game loosened and Fernandes opened up. His crossfield switches began to slice Hoffenheim apart, some drilled, some floated, all hit with purpose. He stretched the pitch, forced the visitors to shuffle and turn, and showed exactly the kind of progressive passing Spurs sorely lacked at times last season.
By the final whistle, he had gone the full 90. That in itself was a major tick for De Zerbi.
Safe Hands, No Superstars
Austin had been targeted in possession, but with his gloves on he delivered.
He reacted sharply at the near post to deny a flick-on from Nathan De Cat, then produced an even bigger moment when Adam Daghim burst through one-on-one. Austin stood tall, made the block, and underlined his value as more than just a training-ground keeper.
With Austin, Martin Dubravka and Antonin Kinsky in the group, Spurs might not boast a single undisputed elite No 1 – Kinsky has the ceiling to get there – but as a trio they look robust, varied and reliable. And that’s before you even mention Guglielmo Vicario.
Williams-Barnett Takes Centre Stage
Among all the returning names, the standout was once again Luca Williams-Barnett.
In a scrappy, bitty contest, the teenager played with clarity. He repeatedly went at Vladimir Coufal and beat him, but what stood out was what came next. Earlier in the summer, particularly against Sydney FC, he sometimes ran with his head down in search of a shot. This time, his choices were cleaner.
Once past his man, he picked crisp, incisive passes, looking up to involve teammates instead of forcing the issue. It made him far harder to read and far more valuable.
His goal capped the performance. Sarr slalomed through pressure from Albian Hajdari with a superb dribble, then slipped a reverse ball into the box. Williams-Barnett arrived, met it first time and passed it calmly into the far corner. No fuss, no panic. Spurs went in at half-time 2-1 up, and their brightest light was a teenager.
If it’s too early to talk about a loan, it’s not too early to talk about minutes. With the senior squad light in attacking depth, this preseason has nudged Williams-Barnett closer to a real role.
New Faces, New Names
De Zerbi’s trust in the academy has been a running theme all summer, but this game pushed the door open for some genuinely new faces.
On the bench sat 15-year-old Mikel Jack, son of former Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kelvin Jack, so fresh to the setup he didn’t even have a squad number. Reiss Elliot-Parris and Miracle Adewole also stepped onto the pitch in Lilywhite for the first time.
Neither of the 18-year-olds altered the game, but that wasn’t the point. Preseason minutes at this level are a marker: the staff know your name, they trust you enough to expose you to senior football, and they want to see how you cope.
Fitness First, Even in Chaos
The second half never really caught fire as a spectacle. Valentin Gendry’s thumping volleyed equaliser – Hoffenheim’s only goal after the break – punctuated a period dominated by changes and conditioning.
De Zerbi’s priorities were obvious. Maddison came off at half-time for Elliot-Parris, who at least brought the presence of a natural striker. Souza and Ajayi, both working back from injuries, were withdrawn around the 70-minute mark. Sarr and Williams-Barnett played the bulk of the match before eventually making way.
Through it all, Fernandes stayed on. Ninety minutes in his legs, patterns in his mind, trust in the bank.
Spurs walk into the new season unbeaten in preseason, with key players returning, youngsters demanding attention and a clearer picture of their fitness. The questions over Van de Ven linger, the sharpness of Maddison needs time, but the structure looks sound.
If this is the platform, how high can they climb from here?
