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Tottenham Beat Hoffenheim 3-0 in Pre-Season Friendly

A row of lockers with jerseys on them
Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Hoffenheim 3-0 in a pre-season friendly match. Pre-season friendlies are games teams play before the official season starts, helping players build fitness and match sharpness.

Richarlison scored the opener for Tottenham, giving them an early lead in the match. An opener is the first goal scored in a game.

Mikey Moore then scored twice, completing a double. This means he scored two goals in the same match, adding to Tottenham's advantage over Hoffenheim.

James Maddison also featured in the game, marking his return to the squad. His comeback will be welcome news for Tottenham fans after time away from the team.

Other players, including Davies and Williams-Barnett, were also on target in a separate draw against Hoffenheim, showing they can also contribute going forward.

The result means Tottenham remain unbeaten throughout their pre-season campaign so far. This is a positive sign as the club prepares for the new season.

The match forms part of the wider head-to-head record between the two clubs, which tracks results from previous meetings between Tottenham and Hoffenheim.

Fans and analysts often look at pre-season stats, or statistics, to judge how a team might perform once the competitive season begins.

While friendlies do not count toward league standings, a strong pre-season can boost team morale and confidence heading into the new campaign.

Vocabulary10 words

pre-season friendly
a practice game played before the real season starts
opener
the first goal scored in a match
double
two goals scored by one player in one game
on target
playing well, often scoring or creating chances
unbeaten
having not lost any games
head-to-head
the history of results between two teams
stats
numbers and facts that describe performance
squad
the full group of players on a team
campaign
a season or series of games
draw
a game where both teams finish with equal scores

Quiz

1. Who scored the opening goal for Tottenham?
2. What does it mean that Mikey Moore scored a 'double'?
3. True or False: Tottenham lost this pre-season friendly against Hoffenheim.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Hoffenheim 3-0 in a _____ match, which helps players build fitness before the official season starts.

Richarlison scored the _____ for Tottenham, giving them an early lead in the match.

Mikey Moore then scored twice, completing a _____, adding to Tottenham's advantage over Hoffenheim.

James Maddison also featured in the game, marking his return to the _____ after time away from the team.

Other players, including Davies and Williams-Barnett, were also _____ in a separate draw against Hoffenheim.

The result means Tottenham remain _____ throughout their pre-season campaign so far.

The match forms part of the wider _____ record between the two clubs.

Fans and analysts often look at pre-season _____ to judge how a team might perform once the season begins.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do football clubs play pre-season friendlies before the real season starts?
  2. Do you think results in friendly matches matter for a team's confidence? Why or why not?
  3. How important is it for a returning player like Maddison to get game time before the season begins?
  4. What other sports use practice matches similar to football's pre-season friendlies?

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