A spectacular return to N17 for the 2023/24 season saw Tottenham Hotspur secure a convincing 5-1 victory against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in our pre-season friendly on Sunday afternoon.
Under the guidance of new Head Coach Ange Postecoglou, who oversaw his first home match following the Asia-Pacific Tour, the Spurs faithful were treated to an exhilarating performance. Harry Kane, the star of the show, delighted the home crowd by netting four goals, while young striker Dane Scarlett added the icing on the cake with a last-minute goal. Kevin Kelsy had earlier scored for Shakhtar, leveling the score just before half-time.
The match was played as a dedication to the people of Ukraine, and Tottenham Hotspur raised funds for Shakhtar’s charitable foundation, Shakhtar Social. The initiative aimed to support those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine due to the armed conflict with Russia. The heartwarming cause drew an impressive crowd of 56,331 supporters to N17.
Tottenham’s new boss handed home debuts to Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, and Destiny Udogie, who all started the game, while Manor Solomon came off the bench later.
The game started with an early chance for Tottenham as Andrii Piatov made a save from Kane’s attempt, and Emerson Royal’s follow-up was deflected over the bar by Mykola Matviienko.
An emotional moment occurred in the 17th minute when Piatov, who had played 482 times for Shakhtar and featured in UEFA Cup matches against Spurs in 2009, received a guard of honor from his teammates as he made his last-ever appearance for the club.
Tottenham continued to threaten Shakhtar’s defense, but they finally found the breakthrough in the 38th minute when Maddison was brought down in the area, and Kane converted the penalty with precision.
Shakhtar equalized just before half-time through Danylo Sikan’s cross, which Kelsy headed home from close range.
However, Tottenham regained the lead just five minutes into the second half as Kane headed the ball back across the goal, evading the goalkeeper’s reach. Kane completed his hat-trick moments later, displaying his signature efficiency after receiving a pass from Dejan Kulusevski.
The chances kept flowing for Tottenham, and they continued to dominate the game. Udogie, Maddison, and Kulusevski all came close to scoring, while Shakhtar also had a good opportunity through Bohdan Viunnyk, who dragged his shot wide when through on goal.
Tottenham added to their tally shortly after as Solomon’s right-foot curler was saved by Riznyk, and Kane tapped the ball home from close range. This marked only the second time Kane has scored four goals in a Spurs game, the last one being in the 6-1 win over Leicester City in May 2017.
Vicario, Tottenham’s goalkeeper, displayed his brilliance with a fantastic save to tip over from Newerton. The match concluded with Scarlett adding the final touch, scoring a left-foot shot on the turn to cap off an excellent afternoon for Tottenham Hotspur.