[ad_1]
Second-half goals from Carlos Vinicius and Giovani Lo Celso saw Spurs top their Europa League group with a comfortable 2-0 win over Royal Antwerp.
Vinicius should have put Tottenham ahead before the break when he played Lucas Moura’s pass, but he shot straight at Alireza Beiranvand, before amending it with a tap-in at 10 minutes into the second period after a free kick from Gareth Bale. it would have been thrown to the post.
Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Tanguy Ndombele were surprise additions from the bench moments later and the former had a hand on the Spurs’ second, feeding Lo Celso into a tight angle with 19 minutes to go.
The Spurs needed victory to secure first place and a favorable route in next week’s final 32 draw, and they comfortably saw all three points against their Belgian visitors, who failed to score a shot on goal in 90 minutes.
Spurs make last day’s matchup look simple
Needing a win to avoid players like Manchester United, whom José Mourinho said ‘shouldn’t be in the Europa League’, Spurs took their time getting going in front of 2,000 expectant fans in North London.
It took the hosts nearly 20 minutes to find the target, with Vinicius’s docile effort of wide meat and drink for Beiranvand to hold.
The goalkeeper should have had to pay at the half hour mark when he flapped into Moura’s corner, but he had Martin Hongla to thank for the clearance before Vinicius could launch into the empty net.
Carlos Vinicius closed the group stage with three goals and three assists for Spurs
Most of the Spurs’ joy came from Lucas Moura, unleashed from the middle and causing trouble from the deep. His run and threaded pass freed Vinicius for the first-half opportunity, but again the Brazilian fired straight at the goalkeeper from a good position.
After the break, there was a noticeable feeling that the hosts had stepped up things and Abdoulaye Seck, booked before the break, was lucky to stay on the field when he dropped Moura 30 yards.
Mourinho’s assistant Joao Sacramento was given a yellow instead for insulting the referee, but was soon celebrating when Bale’s free kick was converted to the post by Beiranvand, giving Vinicius the simple task of hitting the bottom. .
Vinicius converted a long distance free kick by Gareth Bale to put the Spurs in his way
Son, Kane and Ndombele arrived within moments and once they got underway, they made their impact known. Moments after Son’s angled drive flipped, Moussa Sissoko found Kane, whose slide-rule pass freed Lo Celso for a beautiful shot and two-touch finish.
There was a momentary concern for Mourinho, as Son was left limping after a major challenge, but he soon got rid of that concern, just as Spurs did with Antwerp, to lead the pack and ensure they will be seeded in the field. draw for the second round of the Europa League on Monday.
Man of the match – Giovani Lo Celso
Operating from deep but advancing with good results, Lo Celso and Moura ran the show for Tottenham before the break.
But while the Brazilian’s performance waned in the second half, his South American teammate continued to pull the strings from the heart of midfield and looked fitter than he has for some time, including a memorable outmuscle and running to middle of the second period. .
He scored the goal his performance deserved and having now started three games in a week, he can be very satisfied with his recent work.
Opt for facts
- Including qualifiers, Spurs have won seven of their nine European matches in 2020/21 (D1 L1), leading their group to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League.
- Royal Antwerp suffered only their second defeat of the season in the UEFA Europa League and their first away from home, having won their last two away games.
- The Spurs have recorded six consecutive home wins in all competitions for the first time since December 2018.
- Across all competitions, Tottenham’s Harry Kane has been directly involved in more goals in 18 appearances this season (27-14 goals, 13 assists) than in 34 appearances in 2019/20 (26-24 goals, 2 assists).
- Tottenham’s Harry Kane has 13 assists in all competitions this season, the most of any player within Europe’s five major leagues, three ahead of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne with 10.
- Carlos Vinicius has been directly involved in six goals in three UEFA Europa League games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (3 goals, 3 assists).
- José Mourinho has won 18 of his last 19 home games in matches played on Thursday (D1), winning all five with Tottenham.
- Spurs have won 15 of their 18 home games in the UEFA Europa League group stage (two draws 1).
Whats Next?
Tottenham is back Sky sports this weekend when your trip to Crystal Palace goes live Sky Sports Premier League as part of Super sunday from 2pm; Start at 2.15pm.
The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League will take place on Monday and will be covered live on skysports.com.
[ad_2]
