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It was a difficult moment to recover. In the warm-up leading up to this unique Europa League qualifying tie, Tottenham’s goalkeepers sensed that something was wrong. The goals were too small. “Goalkeepers live for hours in goal and then they know when they are not the right dimensions,” said Jose Mourinho, Spurs coach.
Mourinho went over to check for himself and found the same. “I also knew when I stood there and stretched out my arm [up]”Mourinho said. “It was 5 cm smaller [in height] so we demand that they be replaced by goals of the correct dimensions. “I indicated a hasty adjustment of the goals at both ends of the stadium. They lowered them and, when they came back up, strangely, they were then the correct height. Shkendija would later say no it was their usual stage and they didn’t know anything about it.
If Shkendija had been guilty of trying to move the goal posts, of trying to gain some kind of advantage given the expectation that they would be defending rather than attacking, then the Spurs also managed to make life difficult for themselves. better than Shkendija in terms of skill, as he felt that a routine victory had to be the only result. And in the end, the Spurs did advance to prepare for a play-off at home against Maccabi Haifi next Thursday for a place in the group stage of the competition. However, it was not without a wobble.
Shkendija had offered nothing in terms of attack and Spurs might be upset that Erik Lamela’s early goal had represented their only reward. But then Shkendija winger Valmir Nafiu summoned the tie with lightning yelling from the blue and for a moment the ridiculous thought occurred to him that the Spurs might find a way to lose. Shkendija quickly had a couple of blinks in the last third.
Mourinho had started Harry Kane among the substitutes, but was concerned enough to send him along with Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas Moura. The Spurs stabilized and after regaining the lead thanks to Son Heung-min’s good shot, Kane gave them a cushion with a third header from Son’s cross. Do you never doubt? It probably is, after all. For the Spurs, all that mattered was the result.
With Kane as a substitute early on, the focus had been on who would lead the line for Mourinho’s team. The manager has previously said that he does not like Son on paper. Was it Lamela? Or even Dele Alli, who was called to the team?
Mourinho started Son up front, although he does not consider him a number 9, and the South Korean was the provider of the advance, playing in Lamela, who had found meters of space.
Mourinho had promised to select “the best possible team”, but perhaps it was not as strong as the one he sent to Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the previous round. The Spurs still had more than enough to dominate opponents who were in dust in the final third, but despite all their possession and territory, they entered the break with just one goal clear, having created few clear chances in open play.
There was actually only one for Dele Alli, who couldn’t generate power on his spinning top after Serge Aurier’s cross broke for him. There he also saw Jan Krivak block a shot from him after a run while Toby Alderweireld and Aurier were deflected with headers from the corners. Alderweireld, in particular, should have done better.
The Spurs seemed happy to walk through the game because it wasn’t like Shkendija was going to threaten, was it? Incorrect. From his very first attack in the 55th minute, Nafiu broke the script when he brought his team’s level up and what a goal it was: a fierce flurry with his right foot from 20 yards that leaked into the top corner.
Shortly afterwards, Shkendija was about to enter the break and then Besart Ibraimi missed a presentable header. What’s going on?
Mourinho dispatched the cavalry, led by Kane, and the Spurs found a way back. Lamela had blown two good chances in the second half and Kane would do the same with a header from an Aurier cross before another substitute, Lucas Moura, saved Kostadin Zahov and Son took his place from the rebound. Kane would give the marker the shine it deserved.
