Spurs Finish Unbeaten Preseason with Draw Against Hoffenheim

Tottenham finished their preseason unbeaten, but the final act felt more like a behind-closed-doors experiment than a statement win. A 2-2 draw with TSG Hoffenheim at the training ground wrapped up Roberto De Zerbi’s summer, 24 hours after Spurs had swept aside the same opponents 3-0.

This time, it was looser, scrappier, and far more revealing.

Hoffenheim struck first from the spot after James Maddison, rusty and deep in his own half, was robbed by Leon Avdullahu and then hauled the winger down. Adam Hlozek buried the penalty. Spurs hit back before the break through Ben Davies and the outstanding Luca Williams-Barnett, only for Valentin Gendry to lash home a second-half volley to level it.

The result didn’t matter. The details did.

Absentees Return… Mostly

De Zerbi finally got eyes on several players who had been missing or managed carefully all summer. Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Souza, and Damola Ajayi all made their first appearances of preseason. Kevin Danso and Mateus Fernandes also stepped back in after limited minutes.

For a manager trying to build a deeper, more flexible squad ahead of the Premier League opener, it was a significant step. Spurs’ bench should look a lot stronger next weekend than it has at any point in July and August.

One name, though, still isn’t there.

The Van de Ven Question

Micky van de Ven has not played a single preseason minute. That is no longer a footnote. It’s a concern.

He returned late from the World Cup with the Netherlands, but others who went just as deep – or deeper – have already featured. With his injury history, the longer the silence, the louder the alarm. Spurs’ entire defensive structure changes when he’s missing. Right now, there’s no indication when that changes.

De Zerbi’s “Frankensquad”

On paper, the starting XI looked like a tactical dare. Central midfielders everywhere. No recognised striker. One proper winger. Maddison at false 9. You could almost hear the tactical purists sharpening their knives.

De Zerbi didn’t roll out some wild new shape, though. He stuck to his familiar 4-2-3-1. Fernandes and Bentancur sat in midfield, Sarr operated as a roaming No 10, Williams-Barnett and Ajayi worked the flanks, and Maddison led the line in name only.

In reality, Maddison kept dropping into pockets to help with buildup, often ending up in the same spaces as Sarr. The structure looked improvised, but this was about minutes, not mastery. With limited attacking options available, De Zerbi squeezed as many key players as he could into a familiar framework and lived with the awkwardness.

Hoffenheim Smell Blood

Hoffenheim had watched the tape from the previous day. They knew Spurs would insist on playing out from the back. So they waited. Then they pounced.

Their press was targeted and ruthless, especially down Spurs’ right. Tye Hall and goalkeeper Brandon Austin found themselves under constant harassment, pressed into rushed touches and risky passes.

Hoffenheim repeatedly allowed Austin to shape for the pass into midfield before springing the trap. The opening goal came straight from that script: Maddison dropped deep to receive, Avdullahu nicked it, Maddison panicked and pulled him down. Hlozek did the rest from 12 yards.

Maddison’s Rust Shows

Maddison’s return is vital for Spurs’ creativity. His sharpness, though, is still a few weeks behind his imagination.

He produced flashes – the odd disguised pass, a clever angle into feet – but they came in bursts rather than in control of the game. The penalty he conceded summed up his afternoon: slow to react, caught in a bad area, punished immediately.

This is what preseason is for. Spurs need him dictating tempo and breaking lines, not scrambling in his own third. Match fitness, not talent, is the missing piece.

Fernandes Starts to Dictate

Mateus Fernandes didn’t unleash his full passing arsenal straight away, but he grew into the game and ended it as one of Spurs’ most influential players.

Early on, his quality showed around the box. A low, skidding cross from the right missed Sarr by inches. From a short corner, he played a neat one-two before whipping in the delivery that Davies attacked to head Spurs level.

After the break, the game opened up and Fernandes started to stretch Hoffenheim. Crossfield switches, both driven and lofted, repeatedly flipped the point of attack and forced the Germans to shuffle and chase. That kind of range was painfully absent in Spurs’ midfield last season. If he sustains it, Fernandes changes the geometry of this team.

Safe Hands, Three Deep

Brandon Austin did more than just fill a jersey. He made big saves at big moments.

He reacted sharply at his near post to keep out a flick from Nathan De Cat, then stood tall and timed his intervention perfectly when Adam Daghim broke through one-on-one. No fuss, no theatrics, just clean goalkeeping.

Between Austin, Martin Dubravka, and Antonin Kinsky, Spurs might not boast a universally acknowledged elite No 1, but as a unit they look unusually complete for a Premier League club. And that’s before Guglielmo Vicario even enters the conversation.

Williams-Barnett Takes Centre Stage

Luca Williams-Barnett didn’t just look like a promising kid. He looked like the best player on the pitch in a chaotic game.

Time and again he isolated Vladimir Coufal, beat him on the dribble, and then – crucially – made the right choice. Earlier in preseason, he sometimes ran with his head down, chasing the heroic moment. Here, his decision-making sharpened. Quick, incisive passes after beating his man opened lanes for teammates and kept moves alive.

His goal was the reward his performance deserved. Sarr slalomed past Albian Hajdari and slid a reverse pass into the box. Williams-Barnett arrived and passed the ball first time into the far corner, calm and precise.

For a teenager, it was a mature display. A loan might come too soon, but with Spurs light in wide attacking areas, these performances push him closer to meaningful senior minutes.

New Faces, New Names

De Zerbi has leaned heavily on the academy this summer, but most of the faces have been familiar to anyone who follows the U-21s. This match introduced a few who aren’t.

Fifteen-year-old Mikel Jack, son of former Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kelvin Jack, appeared on the bench without even a squad number. Reiss Elliot-Parris and Miracle Adewole also stepped into the senior environment and got their first taste of action in Lilywhite.

They didn’t tilt the contest, and that’s fine. For two 18-year-olds, simply sharing the pitch with established first-teamers is a significant marker on the path upwards.

Fitness First

The pattern of De Zerbi’s preseason management held firm. This was about building legs, not chasing a perfect performance.

Maddison got his half and then made way for Elliot-Parris, an actual centre-forward. Souza and Ajayi, both returning from injury, were withdrawn around the 70-minute mark as their workloads were carefully controlled.

The standout in that regard was Fernandes, who went the distance. Sarr and Williams-Barnett also logged heavy minutes before finally coming off. With no European schedule and mostly one game a week ahead, Spurs have used the summer to lay a physical foundation and spread responsibility.

The football will sharpen. The fitness already looks ready. The only question now is how far this group can push that unbeaten preseason swagger once the real thing starts.