Tottenham Hotspur beat Auckland FC 2-0 in New Zealand friendly

Tottenham Hotspur opened their Oceania pre‑season tour with a 2‑0 victory over Auckland FC at Eden Park in Auckland. The match began with Dane Scarlett scoring from a rebound after a Manor Solomon effort was saved, and Richarlison added the second goal after a Mathys Tel cross in the second half. A record crowd of 40,112 attended, the largest ever for a men’s football match in New Zealand. Manager Roberto De Zerbi fielded a youthful side, giving debuts to several academy graduates and newcomers, before rotating senior players such as Richarlison and Conor Gallagher later in the game. De Zerbi used the friendly to assess fitness, noting that James Maddison and Destiny Udogie were being rested but remain available for the next tour fixture against Sydney FC. The win follows Tottenham’s £237 million summer spending spree that brought in players including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson, and sets the stage for upcoming matches against Sydney FC and Chelsea in Australia.