Tottenham Dominates Hoffenheim 3-0 in Pre-Season Opener

Mikey Moore struck twice as Tottenham swept aside Hoffenheim 3-0 in their first home outing of pre-season, a night that kept Roberto De Zerbi’s team unbeaten and raised as many questions about the future as it answered.

Richarlison set the tone with a sharp first-half finish from an Andy Robertson cross, before Moore took over after the break with two coolly-taken goals, both laid on by Mathys Tel. Four summer signings – Robertson, Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Sensi – all tasted home action for the first time since arriving, a reminder of how different this Spurs side already looks from the one that clung to Premier League safety in May.

The win came with a caveat. Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes were among the notable absentees, their omissions impossible to ignore with the league opener at Brentford looming next Saturday. Spurs will see Hoffenheim again on Sunday in a behind-closed-doors rematch at the training ground, a final tune-up before the real thing begins.

Moore and Bergvall answer the noise

Two young men with uncertain futures played like they were desperate to force a decision.

Moore, 19, had been on the brink of a loan switch to Cologne only days ago. That move is now on hold, and his performance here will have given De Zerbi a headache of the best kind. His first goal brought only a muted celebration – a simple tap-in from Tel’s low cross – but his second was finished with real joy, a deft strike after another clever pass from the Bayern loanee.

He looked like a player who knows his next step is still up in the air. Stay and fight for minutes under De Zerbi, or take the guaranteed games in Germany? On this evidence, Spurs may think twice about letting him go at all.

Lucas Bergvall, too, played with a point to prove. Two months ago, the midfielder seemed close to the exit door, with Newcastle and Nottingham Forest circling. De Zerbi has been clear he wants to keep him and has addressed the Swede’s concerns over game time. The response has been visible all summer.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bergvall’s composure and energy in midfield backed up his manager’s faith. He has featured regularly in pre-season, and this display only strengthened the argument that he should be part of the Premier League plan rather than a deadline-day story.

Robertson wastes no time

Andy Robertson did not swap Liverpool for Spurs to sit on another bench. Against Hoffenheim, he looked every bit like a man determined to own the left flank.

The Scotland captain repeatedly raided down the left, swinging in cross after cross, and it was his trademark delivery that set up Richarlison’s opener. This is exactly what Spurs thought they were getting: leadership, yes, but also a relentless outlet out wide.

With Destiny Udogie still yet to feature in pre-season and questions hanging over the Italy international’s fitness, Robertson has stepped straight into the gap. At 32, he has seen most things the Premier League can throw at a full-back, and on this form he looks nailed on to start at Brentford.

The more he plays like this, the harder it becomes to see how Udogie walks straight back into the side.

Kinsky seizes the gloves

At the other end, Antonin Kinsky quietly underlined why he is now De Zerbi’s first-choice goalkeeper.

The 23-year-old produced several important saves to preserve the clean sheet, reading Hoffenheim’s efforts well and refusing to be drawn into panic. He handled crosses with authority, used the ball smartly with his feet and looked entirely at home in a system that demands bravery from its keeper.

It is a stark contrast to his nightmare in Madrid seven months ago, a performance that seemed to cast doubt on his long-term prospects at the club. Since then, Kinsky has rebuilt himself. On Saturday, he looked like a man who has earned the jersey, not one keeping it warm.

Guglielmo Vicario, absent here with Juventus circling, has already seen his place taken. The hierarchy has shifted, and Kinsky has done it the hard way.

What comes next?

Spurs will face Hoffenheim again on Sunday, this time away from the cameras at the training ground. For De Zerbi, it is one last chance to integrate the new signings, assess the fitness of his missing stars and make some tough calls on players like Moore and Bergvall.

Then comes Brentford, the Premier League, and the real test of whether this refreshed, emboldened Spurs side can be more than just a strong pre-season story.