What we learned from Spurs' friendly with Sydney...
Tottenham Hotspur secured a penalty shootout victory against Sydney FC on Wednesday after the pre-season friendly ended 1-1 in regulation time. The match in Australia saw new signing Mathys Tel open the scoring with a precise 25-yard free-kick in the 29th minute. While the Premier League side dominated possession early on, Sydney FC found an equalizer shortly after halftime through Takahiro Sekine.
Roberto De Zerbi utilized the fixture to rotate his squad, with several key players remaining sidelined or rested. Midfielder Lucas Bergvall started the match amid speculation about his future at the club, while Sandro Tonali and Andy Robertson were introduced in the second half. Robertson, making his first appearance for the club, wore the captain's armband for a 25-minute cameo that included creating two scoring opportunities.
Despite creating multiple chances, Spurs struggled to convert, with Conor Gallagher and substitute Min-Hyeok Yang missing opportunities to win the match before the final whistle. The match ultimately moved to a penalty shootout, where Martin Dubravka saved a spot-kick before Dane Scarlett converted the decisive penalty to clinch the win for the visitors.
This result marks the third victory for the team during their current pre-season schedule. The group prepares to face Chelsea this coming Saturday in their next test. De Zerbi continues to address squad balance as he navigates injury absences, including players such as Dejan Kulusevski and Guglielmo Vicario, while waiting for others like Cristian Romero to return from international leave.