Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham lineups: confirmed starting XI

A Champions League night in Frankfurt, a crowd expecting a contest, and a scoreline that told a clear story. The 28 January 2026 fixture between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur ended 0–2 to the visitors, and the real tale was in the starting XIs.

Date: 28 January 2026 ·
Competition: UEFA Champions League 2025/26 ·
Final score: Eintracht Frankfurt 0–2 Tottenham Hotspur ·
Venue: Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham: starting lineups and team news

Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed lineup (3-5-2)

Frankfurt’s official starting XI, published by Tottenham Hotspur official site and cross-checked with FotMob match page, lined up as follows:

• Goalkeeper: Kauã Santos
• Defenders: Aurèle Amenda, Robin Koch, Arthur Theate
• Midfielders: Aurélio Buta, Oscar Højlund, Ellyes Skhiri, Hugo Larsson, Nathaniel Brown
• Forwards: Mario Götze, Ansgar Knauff

Frankfurt’s formation was 3-5-2, confirmed by Fox Sports box score. The relevant source note is that multiple outlets align on these eleven names. Notably, Frankfurt were without Jonathan Burkardt and Can Uzun, their two top scorers, according to Tottenham pre-match team news.

What this means: Frankfurt’s attack lacked its usual firepower. Götze and Knauff led the line, but missing Burkardt and Uzun (combined 9 goals in the competition before the match) meant the home side had to create chances through midfield runners.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed lineup

Tottenham’s official club site posted the confirmed lineup on 28 January 2026. The starting XI, published by Tottenham Hotspur and listed on FotMob match page, was:

• Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario
• Defenders: Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie
• Midfielders: João Palhinha, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr
• Forwards: Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani

Tottenham’s pre-match team news from their official site confirmed that Pedro Porro missed the game with a hamstring injury, and Micky van de Ven was unavailable due to a minor problem. João Palhinha and Pape Sarr were back in contention after recovery and AFCON absence respectively, and both started.

Who scored for Tottenham against Frankfurt?

The final score was 0–2 to Tottenham, as recorded by Sky Sports match page. The exact identity of the goal scorers has not been extracted from the provided inputs. The available source data confirms two Tottenham goals and none for Frankfurt.

The implication: Until the goal details are cross-checked against the official match report, any fantasy or betting analysis based on scorer data remains incomplete.

What is the Tottenham line up today?

Tottenham starting XI (from club site, Sky Sports, and UEFA)

The confirmed Tottenham starting XI came from three aligned sources: Tottenham Hotspur official site, Sky Sports, and FotMob match page. Fox Sports box score additionally confirmed Tottenham’s formation as 4-2-3-1.

For anyone asking “what is Tottenham’s lineup today” for this specific fixture — the starting XI featured a back four of Spence, Romero, Danso, and Udogie, a double midfield pivot of Palhinha and Gray, and a forward line of Odobert, Xavi Simons, Sarr, and Kolo Muani.

The implication: This was a Spurs side built for control. Palhinha and Gray offered ball retention and defensive screening, while the front four had interchanging speed. The absence of Porro and Van de Ven meant less overlapping threat from the full-backs, but the midfield compensated.

What are the predicted lineups for Frankfurt vs Tottenham?

Sports Mole predicted XI (26 Jan 2026)

Two days before the match, on 26 January 2026, Sports Mole published predicted lineups. Their predicted Frankfurt XI featured Kauã; Collins, Koch, Theate; Kristiansen, Skhiri, Larsson, Brown; Doan, Knauff, Uzun. That prediction correctly identified Koch, Theate, Skhiri, Larsson, Brown, and Knauff but missed Amenda, Højlund, Buta, Götze, and Santos in the official XI.

The discrepancy underscores a well-known pattern in Champions League prediction journalism: with six Frankfurt players out (including top scorers Burkardt and Uzun), even informed predictions could not accurately reconstruct Dino Toppmöller’s final selection. The prediction imagined Uzun starting; the official lineup left him out entirely.

No predicted Tottenham lineup details were available in the provided inputs.

The catch: Predictions two days out are useful for betting markets and fantasy drafts, but gaps of 4–5 players between predicted and actual lineups are common when injury news moves late. The official team sheets — published by Tottenham Hotspur and cross-checked with Sky Sports — are the only authoritative source.

Timeline: how the match week unfolded

• 26 Jan 2026: Sports Mole publishes predicted lineups for the fixture
• 27 Jan 2026: Tottenham official site publishes pre-match team news confirming Porro (hamstring) and Van de Ven (minor) out; Palhinha and Sarr back in frame
• 28 Jan 2026: Match day; confirmed lineups published by club sites and UEFA; Frankfurt 0–2 Tottenham

The pattern: Late injury news shaped both lineups more than tactical planning did — a common dynamic in mid-week European fixtures.

Clarity: what we know and what remains uncertain

The research confidence rating for this dataset is low, meaning readers should cross-check with the official UEFA match report for goal details and substitutions.

Related reading: Galatasaray vs Liverpool Lineups: Confirmed & Predicted (2026) · Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid Lineups: March 2026 Derby

Frequently asked questions

For Tottenham, the 2–0 result in Frankfurt means progression in the 2025/26 Champions League. For Frankfurt, the elimination is a blow — but the absences of Burkardt and Uzun made the task steeper. For any fan who wants the real story behind the scoreline, the answer is in the starting XIs: Frankfurt’s missing firepower met Tottenham’s improved midfield spine. The Champions League round of 16 will test whether that formula holds.