Tottenham won a penalty shoot-out after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Sydney FC in their latest pre-season friendly It was a useful exercise for Roberto De Zerbis men for whom Andy Robertson made his debut and several younger players staked their claim for a regular place in the squad.Mathys Tel gave Spurs a 29th-minute lead with a superb free-kick but they could not hold on and Takahiro Sekine levelled 10 minutes into the second half.Former Liverpool full-back Robertson came on after 66 minutes and immediately took the captains armband. He could have set up the winner as well but a trademark cross was poked wide by Yang Min-hyeok.The game went to a shoot-out in which Joe Lacey and Alex Popovic, along with Tottenhams Jamie Donley, missed, leaving Dane Scarlett to slot home the winning effort.Table of ContentsTel impresses for TottenhamTonali and Robertson introduced by TottenhamTottenhams remaining pre-season programmeTel impresses for Tottenham Tel was a lively presence in the first-half although his final ball frequently let him down.The former Bayern Munich winger had seen an early shot saved by Sydney goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot before Ben Davies saw claims for a penalty waved away four minutes later.Hoefsloot did well again to repel a Conor Gallagher effort but Spurs momentum was stalled by two poor Tel free-kicks and a wayward cross that evaded his team-mates in the area.Tottenham goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had been a relative bystander for the opening 24 minutes but he was finally called into action to parry clear a long-range effort from Rhys Youlley.The breakthrough came when Sekine, making his first start for Sydney FC, committed a foul on the edge of the box and Tel whipped a brilliant effort into the top right-hand corner.Gallagher twice came close to adding to Spurs lead with his second effort clipping the post.There were two moments of concern at the other end approaching half-time, though. Mathias Macallister saw a shot from inside his own half just drift wide with Dubravka backpedalling furiously before Macallister beat the Slovakian to a loose ball, lifting it over the goalkeeper only to see retreating Spurs defenders bundle the ball clear.Tonali and Robertson introduced by TottenhamWantaway midfielder Lucas Bergvall showed a few nice touches but was largely quiet and he was replaced by new signing Sandro Tonali at the break. Kota Takai and Luca Williams-Barnett were also introduced with Davies and Tel making way.Exciting youngster Williams-Barnett nearly made an instant impression, shifting the ball on to his left foot and cracking an effort against the woodwork.Spurs momentum was lost, however, when Takais sloppy pass was latched on to by Sekine and he made no mistake.Further changes saw Robertson, Mason Melia, Yang, Donley and Scarlett come on and while Robertson and Williams-Barnett were impressive, the game petered out into a stalemate.Tottenhams remaining pre-season programme1 August:Tottenham v Chelsea (Accor Stadium, Sydney, 1045am)8 August:Tottenhamv Getafe (behind closed doors)15 August:Tottenham v Hoffenheim (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, 3pm)16 August:Tottenham v Hoffenheim (behind closed doors) Topics Sydney FC Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read WATCH: Brilliant Tel free-kick hands Tottenham first-half advantage in pre-season friendly against Sydney FC Jon Fisher 29th July, 2026 Sydney FC v Tottenham: Confirmed line-ups as De Zerbi names youthful XI Jon Fisher 29th July, 2026 Manchester City forward informs club of desire to leave Nicholas McGee 28th July, 2026 Tottenham v Sydney FC: Expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Spurs latest pre-season test Nicholas McGee 28th July, 2026 Tottenham: Inter Milan chief confirms interest in Romero as De Zerbi says transfer window not done yet and updates on Bergvall, Maddison, Kudus and Kulusevski Cian Cheesbrough 26th July, 2026 Premier League pre-season: Liverpool beat Sunderland in Iraolas first game, Spurs win vs Auckland and Leeds lose to Wrexham Cian Cheesbrough 26th July, 2026
