Randal Kolo Muani hardly cut the figure of a Tottenham hero as he stood on the hard shoulder of M25 and inspected his damaged Ferrari Purosangue.
It seemed like an image to encapsulate his season. The Spurs season, in fact. A front tyre had blown on the way to the airport, and he missed the team flight to Frankfurt along with Wilson Odobert who pulled over to help when he saw his teammate in trouble.
Fortunately, nobody was hurt. With a wheel missing and air bags deployed, Kolo Muani had clearly had a very lucky escape and had Spurs not been in such desperate need of players they might have decided they could cope without him.
He had scored only twice in his first 23 games of his loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain. He arrived lacking fitness, was disrupted by freakish injuries and has been flirting with a return to Juventus, where he finished last season in a flurry of goals.
Spurs flew him out to Frankfurt though and Thomas Frank made him a surprise starter, whereupon he produced a brilliant performance and scored the goal to launch them into the last 16 of the Champions League.
It was swept in from close range early in the second half after Cristian Romero had headed down a deep cross by Xavi Simons.
Randal Kolo Muani was on target as Tottenham earned a place in the Champions League last-16 with a 2-0 victory over Frankfurt
The French forward scored from close range following a free kick into the Frankfurt box
Tottenham’s progression to the last-16 will be a major boost for under pressure boss Thomas Frank
Kolo Muani dropped to his knees, raised his eyes and pointed to the heavens in prayer after his celebration with his teammates.
Who could blame him? It has been quite a day or two for the France international, and it was about to end with Spurs for all their problems this season coasting through to last 16 of the Champions League with 17 points from eight games.
Dominic Solanke, who scored the only goal when Spurs won here in the Deutsche Bank Park in April to send Ange Postecoglou’s team into the last four of the Europa League, came on to score a second, played through by a mistimed header by Eintracht Frankfurt substitute Mahmoud Dahoud.
But this night belonged to Kolo Muani. Perhaps Frank was operating on the theory that he tends to excel against former clubs. His only other goals in a Spurs shirt were two against parent club PSG in November, their only defeat in this league phase.
Here though, he was bright from the outset, in the mood, spinning into the channels and threatening behind the three centre halves.
Kolo Muani scored 26 goals in his one season with Eintracht before going on strike to force through a move to PSG, who paid nearly £70million to sign him in 2023.
The home crowd had neither forgotten nor forgiven. His name was greeted with a tirade of boos and whistles when the teams were announced and again when he collected the ball in the second minute and set off on a run and low cross which spilled to Xavi Simons who found the net.
Simons celebrated what he thought was a perfect start only to find the goal ruled out for a foul by Destiny Udogie, earlier in the move. Spurs complained but took encouragement from the fragility of their hosts in defence.
Dominic Solanke added a second for Tottenham to ease nerves in the closing stages
Solanke punished Frankfurt as the Bundesliga side had pushed for an equalising goal
Eintracht had no chance to progress in the competition. Their fate had been sealed with a defeat at Qarabag last week, the latest twist in a poor season for them. And they came into this game having conceded three in each of their previous five.
Joao Palhinha forced a save from Kaua Santos with a header from a Simons corner headed back across goal by Cristian Romero. Palhinha was deployed in an unfamiliar position on the right of a back three as Frank stuck with his 3-4-2-1 formation for a third successive game.
Kolo Muani caused more problems with a run down the left channel and whipped over a splendid cross, which seemed destined for Udogie but, inexplicably, he missed the header completely. The ball struck a surprised Wilson Odobert in the chest and was scrambled to safety by Eintracht.
Spurs controlled the game and yet could not find the goal. Odobert fizzed a shot against a post from just outside the penalty area and Simons was unable to capitalise on a mistake by goalkeeper Santos, who recovered to save with his feet.
Then came a reminder from Eintracht before the interval when Hugo Larsson burst between Romero and Palhinha and clipped the bar. It was a scare to spark concerns that Spurs had not scored when they were on top.
But Frank’s team returned for the second half and completed the job in mature fashion. Kolo Muani’s goal steadied them, kept them on track and Solanke punished the Germans as they took risks in search of an equaliser.
Eintracht fans were still jeering Kolo Muani when he was substituted, late in the game. Music to his ears no doubt. Frank and Spurs do not return to this competition until March. They can focus first on four very tough Premier League fixtures, starting against Manchester City on Sunday.
