Conor Gallagher spared Tottenham defeat against Getafe with a late equaliser in a behind-closed-doors friendly that was only agreed to last 70 minutes. The game was split into 35 minutes per half, and Gallagher’s goal came with two minutes remaining. Getafe had gone ahead 15 minutes from time through Alberto Risco after a one-two with Francisco 'Curro' Burgos.
The shortened game and the late response
The detail that matters most here is the format. This was not a full dress rehearsal, just a 70-minute workout that still produced a proper late twist. Tottenham were behind with a quarter-hour to play, then Gallagher finished the job late enough to keep the result level at 1-1.
That keeps Tottenham unbeaten in pre-season so far, and it sits alongside the tour results already recorded under Roberto De Zerbi, who was also said to have overseen a 2-0 win over Auckland FC and a penalty shootout victory against Sydney FC Down Under. The unbeaten run is fine news, but this was still an uneven exercise rather than a clean look at where the squad stands.
The missing names still shape the picture
The more useful reading is the team news. Micky van de Ven is still waiting for his first pre-season outing after returning from World Cup duty with the Netherlands. James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Dominic Solanke remain absent, while Dejan Kulusevski has been sidelined since May 2025 with a patella injury.
That leaves plenty of the usual questions unresolved before the season starts. Tottenham’s recent league form has been steadier than this friendly suggested, with three wins in their last five Premier League games, but the more immediate issue is availability. Richarlison also has two goal contributions across his last five league matches, which underlines that there are still active attacking options in the squad even while key players are missing.
The result itself is modest. The squad picture around it is the part Tottenham will care about more, because the next proper chance to judge the full group will come when the missing players begin to return and the friendlies get closer to the real thing.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
