Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fiorentina: Europa League – as it happened
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Version 0 of 1. 9.59pm GMT21:59 Cheers for sticking with that second-half. It was a fair old slog to watch, so I can only imagine it wasn’t much fun to read about either. Cheers, and goodnight. 9.58pm GMT21:58 Well, that second 45 was hugely disappointing, after the entertaining incompetence of the first. Fiorentina, after a tactical switch by Vincenzo Montella, were spoilsportingly efficient after the break, occasionally offering a threat on the counter but rather easily keep out Tottenham’s sporadic attacks. They will, quite obviously, be the happier side going into the second leg in Florence next week. 9.55pm GMT21:55 Full-time: Tottenham 1-1 Fiorentina Peeeeeeeeeeepepeeppeepeppepepepepeepepepeeeeeeeeeeeep. 9.54pm GMT21:54 90 mins + 3: Summing up his contribution, Lamela is muscled off the ball by Pizarro in the Fiorentina area. Perhaps out of embarrassment, he claims a penalty. No dice. 9.53pm GMT21:53 90 mins + 2: Eriksen tries a Beckham-to-Ronaldo whipped cross from deep on the right, but it hits the first man. I wouldn’t normally mention it, but looking up the YouTube of that ball is more interesting than the match at the moment. 9.52pm GMT21:52 90 mins: Boy, Lamela has been terrible since he has been on. Another pass goes awry, another chance for a winner goes down the toilet. 9.51pm GMT21:51 89 mins: Salah shoots. It fizzes over. Three minutes of injury-time. Economy of language. 9.50pm GMT21:50 88 mins: Pizarro tries a swept pass forward in theory into the path of Joaquin, but the Spaniard is, to be blunt, blowing out of his bottom, and barely even tries to chase that one down. 9.48pm GMT21:48 87 mins: Could this be it? Well, no. Corner for Spurs on the right, which Lamela swings directly into the grasp of Tatarusanu. 9.47pm GMT21:47 86 mins: Just wondering at what point Eriksen is going to score his customary late winner in a 2-1 victory for Spurs, here. 9.46pm GMT21:46 84 mins: Another two changes, one for each side - Ryan Mason is on for Paulinho, and Josip Ilicic replaces Gomez. 9.45pm GMT21:45 83 mins: Lorks, Fiorentina damn near take the lead, with Joaquin and Alonso creating a chance down the left for the latter to skim a low cross along the six-yard line, but Gomez can’t quite get there to what would have basically been a tap-in. 9.42pm GMT21:42 81 mins: Perhaps in an effort to liven things up, Vertonghen tries a drag-back in his own area rather than clearing the thing, it sort of comes off but he gets a bit lucky and eventually the ball bumbles its way clear. 9.41pm GMT21:41 79 mins: Genuinely nothing has happened in the last few minutes. All gone a bit limp at the Lane. 9.39pm GMT21:39 77 mins: All quietened down a bit now. Another sub for Fiorentina, as Valero is replaced by Milan Badelj. 9.37pm GMT21:37 75 mins: Lamela attempts a shot from the left side of the box that could be described as ‘piss weak’, it’s blocked to Bentaleb whose effort is slightly better but still blocked, and it returns to Lamela whose shot is a little better still but goes wide. 9.35pm GMT21:35 73 mins: Another sub for Spurs - Erik Lamela enters the fray, Townsend the man to cede his place. 9.34pm GMT21:34 72 mins: Eeek, more hairy moments for Spurs. Alonso gets down the left and pings over a cross, which Walker heads away at the near post but it only goes to Salah about 12 yards out, only for his touch to pinball off him and the chance goes begging. 9.33pm GMT21:33 71 mins: Davies stumbles into the box but his attempt at a cross is vaguely shambolic, which gives Fiorentina the chance to counter, which they do, but Walker mops up. Spurs then attack again, the ball finds Paulinho in behind the defence as they erroneously claim offside, but Tatarusanu dashes out to block. 9.31pm GMT21:31 69 mins: Townsend cuts in at pace from the right and hurdles a challenge from Pizarro, jumps about five feet in the air and returns to earth, with enough time during the fall to contemplate life, the universe and everything, but the referee keeps whistle away from mouth. Fiorentina counter but Gomez’s shot flashes just past the angle of bar and post. 9.26pm GMT21:26 66 mins: Subs for both teams - Chadli makes way for Kane, while Marcos Alonso replaces Pasqual for Fiorentina. 9.26pm GMT21:26 65 mins: Townsend, ever the optimist, attempts a shot while off-balance, with his right foot and from a tough angle. God loves a trier, but that goes wide. 9.24pm GMT21:24 63 mins: The fans are singing Harry Kane’s name, and it looks like they might get their wish in a moment. 9.23pm GMT21:23 62 mins: Bentaleb tries a left-footed shot from range, but he was cutting across it and leaning back a bit, so it was never really likely to threaten the goal. 9.22pm GMT21:22 61 mins: Pizarro gets the ball in a deep position and picks out a pass that’s very nearly exquisite, over the top and aiming for Salah, but it’s just a bit too far ahead of the winger and it goes out. 9.21pm GMT21:21 59 mins: Walker and Townsend combine to try and create something on the right, with Pasqual doing his best to remove the latter’s shirt but no free-kick is given. Townsend zoots over a quick cross, but Soldado can’t do a huge amount with it and it goes out for a goal-kick. 9.19pm GMT21:19 57 mins: Salah intercepts a Townsend pass and dances up field, but seems to run out of energy and support somewhere around the 20 yard mark out on the right flank, and a slightly aimless pass sees the counter end. 9.17pm GMT21:17 55 mins: Chance for Spurs as Eriksen gets the ball on the edge of the box, but they over-elaborate rather with some tippy-tappy passing when a straightforward shot would perhaps have been more appropriate. 9.14pm GMT21:14 52 mins: Valero tries to break into some space in the left channel, but is absolutely blooted (legally) by Walker, who wins a 50/50 with what we’ll call ‘gusto’ for now. 9.12pm GMT21:12 50 mins: Chadli tries to relieve some pressure by scooting down the left, but Savic isn’t having any of it and pulls him back, the inevitable yellow card greeted by a “What, me guv?” look on his mush. 9.11pm GMT21:11 49 mins: Another chance for Fiorentina, as Fernandez hoys over a free-kick from quite deep out on the left to the back stick, where Lloris waves at it and Spurs just about manage to smuggle it behind for a corner. From which Fernandez again dings it right into the near post, and again Spurs bundle the thing clear. Meanwhile, what an email this is from Daisy Fraczek: “It struck me tonight that for all the recent fuss about Olivier Giroud’s apparent gorgeousness, he just looks like Mario Gomez’s weak-faced, slightly spoilt younger brother. “The one who survives in a 1950’s WW2 drama and is forever unfavourably compared by the rest of the town to his war-hero older brother, who got killed taking on a machine gun post armed only with a sock full of ball bearings—leading to the younger brother, back in post-war small-town America becoming increasingly hostile, maladjusted and sex-pesty, and eventually so tortured he rides his motorbike off a cliff in a leather jacket. “Or maybe I’m overthinking it.” 9.08pm GMT21:08 47 mins: And straight away, Fiorentina have a chance, Joaquin cutting in from the left (where he seems to have taken up residence now) and cutting back to Salah, but his measured shot from the edge of the box goes just wide of the near post. 9.06pm GMT21:06 46 mins: We’re off again, Soldado and Eriksen getting things moving again. No changes, no surprises, no diggity. 9.02pm GMT21:02 “In fairness, Townsend’s response to everything is to run down the right and do a bunch of step overs,” writes Matt Dony, about the update on 42 minutes. Good point, Mr Dony. Good point. Updated at 9.04pm GMT 8.58pm GMT20:58 Some half-time listening... 8.52pm GMT20:52 Half-time: Tottenham 1-1 Fiorentina Peeeeeeeeeep. Well, that’s been a hugely enjoyable half of football, largely because both teams have been taking it in turns to look absolutely clueless at the back, which = good fun for the rest of us. Another 45 of that please, gents. 8.51pm GMT20:51 44 mins: GOA...oh, no, actually not. Walker crosses from the right, Soldado heads towards goal and it’s pushed out by Tatarusanu, Chadli is waiting but the ball is sort of a bit behind him, and he hooks it towards goal, it hits the bar and bounces down on the line, but crucially not over it. 8.49pm GMT20:49 43 mins: “We are ashamed,” writes A.Rodriguez. “Every one of us.” (See 31 mins) 8.48pm GMT20:48 42 mins: Townsend’s response to Fiorentina’s growing confidence is to run down the right and do a bunch of stepovers. Pizarro, unimpressed, puts it out for a corner. From which the ball finds its way back to Townsend, but his cross to the back post is too deep and sails out of play. 8.46pm GMT20:46 41 mins: Fiorentina suddenly look like a football team again, and Spurs look like a bunch of panicked schoolboys afraid of making a mistake lest a teacher give them a sound thrashing with a wet slipper. Or something like that. 8.44pm GMT20:44 38 mins: Well, sure. @NickMiller79 Every time I read Pizarro, I hear this (SFW, just...er...yeah) https://t.co/pgIRrKLNTo 8.43pm GMT20:43 36 mins: Spurs have frankly been taking the mick at stages, but it’s now level. An absolute brute of a free-kick from the left is powered in by Matias Fernandez, but Lloris can only claw the thing back into the danger area, where Basanta is there to sort of smuggle the ball into the net, through a defender’s legs. Updated at 9.00pm GMT 8.41pm GMT20:41 GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 Fiorentina (Basanta 36) Well, that had not been coming. 8.41pm GMT20:41 35 mins: Joaquin pops up on the left and, perhaps in an attempt to make his positional irregularity appear slightly less absurd by comparison, Soldado trips him up from behind and is duly booked. 8.40pm GMT20:40 34 mins: Once more, the Fiorentina midfield parts like the row of palm trees on Tracy Island, allowing Bentaleb to saunter towards goal and shoot, but his effort takes a deflection and loops into Tatausano’s arms. 8.38pm GMT20:38 33 mins: Fiorentina sort of half stumble into a chance, Pasqual crossing low from the left to Gomez at the near post, but Vertonghen’s attentions are enough to put the striker off. Actually, Vertonghen was reasonably lucky not to give away a penalty, there. Updated at 9.22pm GMT 8.36pm GMT20:36 31 mins: Townsend sashays down the right and eludes Rodriguez with an ease that should shame his family, but the Spurs man’s low shot is saved. 8.35pm GMT20:35 30 mins: Kyle Walker is showboating now. Kyle. Walker. Showboating. That’s...that’s going to sting. 8.34pm GMT20:34 28 mins: Spurs are just sort of mucking around with it now. Vertonghen plays another pass through a hugely obliging Italian defence to Soldado, but the Spanish striker is a bit offside. Actually, you can’t be ‘a bit’ offside, can you? It’s a binary thing. Sorry. Carry on. 8.32pm GMT20:32 27 mins: Not that I want to dissuade you from leaving me and not follow this rather good game, it is all kicking off in Celtic v Inter. Join Scott Murray here. 8.30pm GMT20:30 24 mins: Gomez and Townsend go up for a header, the latter sort of gives up halfway through, but his mere presence seems to utterly baffle the big German and he handballs, then falls over. Lovely bit of slapstick. 8.28pm GMT20:28 23 mins: Not sure how this is still 1-0. Could be 4-2 at least. More of this sort of thing please, footballers. 8.27pm GMT20:27 22 mins: All Spurs now. Paulinho gets the ball in the right channel and, emboldened by the confidence of the oppo being a bit trousers, tries an ambitious shot to the near post, which the keeper does well to get down and save. 8.26pm GMT20:26 20 mins: Almost a spectacular second from Soldado. Walker gets down the right and puts over a cross, which takes a slight flick off a defender, looping up behind Soldado who quickly snaps an overhead kick towards goal, but it’s straight at Tatarusanu who holds on. 8.25pm GMT20:25 19 mins: Ah, Eriksen again, this time with a shot. Chadli pushes it back to him on the edge of the box, and the Dane has some time and space to pick his spot, but he pulls his effort rather and leans back too, the ball going over the bar. 8.23pm GMT20:23 18 mins: Ooooooooooh, so close from Eriksen. Not a shot, but one of those delightful slipped, defence-splitting passes that make Spurs fans go funny in the tummy/trouser area, but it’s just cut out before it can reach Soldado. 8.22pm GMT20:22 16 mins: Oooh, big chance for Fiorentina. Salah gets the ball on the right side of the box, he tries to feed it to the area’s edge but the pass is blocked, and it breaks back to the Chelsea loanee and he’s in on goal, but his low shot to the near post is beaten away. 8.19pm GMT20:19 13 mins: A shot for Fiorentina! Ye gads. It’s rubbish, Gomez’s effort having all the juice taken out of it by a deflection, but it’s better than anything else they’ve managed thus far. Pasqual then gets down the left and crosses low into the box, but the ball pops up and strikes Gomez on the arm. His hair is looking a bit more ruffled now. 8.17pm GMT20:17 12 mins: Some dancing feet by Townsend out on the right, but he tucks the ball back to Eriksen, and eventually the attack disappears following an errant Paulinho pass. 8.16pm GMT20:16 10 mins: Ach, great chance for Spurs as Kyle Walker capitalises on a Pizarro error and advances down the right, playing inside and into the penalty area for Paulinho, but the Brazilian can’t control the thing properly and the chance disappears. 8.14pm GMT20:14 8 mins: Great start from Spurs. There seems to be a huge amount of space between the Fiorentina defence and midfield, which is odd considering Pizarro is supposed to be sitting deep in front of the back three. Ben Davies is lucky to avoid a booking after going in late on Joaquin, out on the Italian right. 8.12pm GMT20:12 6 mins: First chance of the game, as Eriksen feeds Chadli, he can’t control but the ball breaks to Soldado on the edge of the box who feeds it back to Chadli, but his effort is well saved by Tatarusanu. The ball is then put behind for a corner, which finds Soldado around 15 yards out and he hits a sweet, sweet volley with splendid technique low into the corner. Updated at 8.25pm GMT 8.11pm GMT20:11 GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Fiorentina (Soldado 6) Yep, that Soldado. 8.10pm GMT20:10 4 mins: Perhaps in a bid to liven things up a little bit, Gonzalo Rodriguez wipes out Andros Townsend on the right, and is duly booked. That was a proper, leg-sweeping foul that probably would’ve been yellow-worthy in the 1970s. 8.09pm GMT20:09 3 mins: Not much has occurred so far. Gomez was caught offside. Soldado has just fouled David Pizarro. Low-key at the Lane. 8.06pm GMT20:06 1 mins: And we’re away, Fiorentina kicking off, and the heart sinks as you remember they’re using that bloody awful camera angle at White Hart Lane. Mario Gomez’s hair is impeccable, though. 8.03pm GMT20:03 3 - Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three home games against Italian sides. Resilience. 7.53pm GMT19:53 So, this Spurs team is a bit of an odd one. Mauricio Pochettino seems to be attempting a fine balance between resting some key players and playing a side strong enough to win the game. It’s probably actually a sensible move to give Harry Kane a rest, because it’s easy to forget that the Chingford wonder is still only 21, and could do with putting his feet up for a wee while. Still, a gamble, and we shall see if it pays off for Poch. Updated at 8.17pm GMT 7.31pm GMT19:31 Tottenham, of course, have a fine history in this tournament - or at least what this tournament used to be, the UEFA Cup, in that they’ve won the thing twice. The first time was in 1972, when they beat Wolves in the final thanks to a brace from Martin Chivers to win the first-leg 2-1, then a 1-1 draw in the second-leg at White Hart Lane (a two-legged final! Imagine!). Additional piece of trivia: the referee in the first game was one Tofiq Bahramov, or to give him his full name - The Russian Linesman From The 1966 World Cup Final, who as you’ll probably know has a stadium named in his honour in his native Azerbaijan. The Guardian reported at the time: Tottenham Hotspur won the EUFA (sic) Cup at White Hart Lane last night, continuing their record of never having lost a cup final...But the thought of a reputed bonus of £3,000 for each player was a great thanksgiving, as was the thought of being back in Europe next season. Another remarkable achievement also is that for the fifth successive year an English club has won what was the Fairs Cup competition and has now been taken over by EUFA (sic). They also prevailed in 1984, beating Belgian side Anderlecht in the final, who of course should not have been there after their chairman bribed the referee in their semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Both games in that tie ended 1-1, and Spurs won on penalties, with 21-year-old keeper Tony Parks saving a couple of kicks from Arnor Gudjohnsen (Eidur’s old man) and Morten Olsen, who would of course go on to manage Denmark. The Guardian commented: Yet the denouement showed that no Continental side can afford to relax when faced with Anglo-Saxon fire and brimstone. In spite of all his mayhem Roberts proved an indefatigable captain in marshalling his weary troops, while his fellow defender Thomas showed the skill and courage that prompted Burkinshaw to pay a large fee for him a year ago... Parks said: “It’s a lovely feeling. I started playing at nine on Hackney Marshes--and now all this. I am only 21 and there was a time this season when I thought I might have to move to another club.” Updated at 8.14pm GMT 7.10pm GMT19:10 Team news Tottenham Lloris; Walker, Vertonghen, Fazio, Davies; Bentaleb, Paulinho; Chadli, Eriksen, Townsend; Soldado. Subs: Vorm, Rose, Lamela, Dier, Kane, Dembele, Mason. Fiorentina Tatarusanu; Savic, Rodriguez, Basanta; Joaquin, Mati Fernandez, Pizarro, Borja Valero, Pasqual; Salah, Babacar. Subs: Neto, Richards, Alonso, Badelj, Aquilani, Ilicic, Babacar. Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain) 7.05pm GMT19:05 Preamble Something seemed to flick on in the Tottenham team before Christmas. Specifically, in the 2-1 win over Everton. It wasn’t a slice of magic or some mystical force that took over the squad, and they didn’t win any of the following three games, but there was...something there. A spark, a glimpse that they might well have got things together now, that their collective heads may have been removed from their collective arses and, collectively, they may have worked out what they’re supposed to be doing. Equally, one could put their improved form in the last few months down to a lack of Europa League football. The ol’ Thursday-Sunday combo didn’t seem to agree with Mauricio Pochettino’s men all that well, since they lost three of the six games immediately following European ties, and have lost just two league games since the last Europa League group game, back in November. It’s not a foolproof theory, as they have of course folded like a terrible poker hand at daft places like Crystal Palace in the time they’ve been domestic only, but the general trend has been upwards with one less competition to fret about. Poch’s boyz do of course have the upcoming agonising Milk Cup final defeat to Chelsea to worry about too, but yer man doesn’t sound overly concerned about the sheer tonnage of football they will have to deal with in the coming weeks. He said: This is our 42nd official game tomorrow in seven months. It’s important to manage the squad and always analyse after the games each case and each player. And after to be clever and select the best player to play in each game. For me, I prefer to play every three days because it’s a good sign we are in all competitions. We have a strong squad for playing in the Europa League, Premier League and the final of Capital One Cup against Chelsea. I am happy. There is not a special worry about that. All the squad are fit and we are in a very good way. And what of Fiorentina? Well, you’ll know that they have Micah Richards in their ranks, but you might not be quite so aware that the big defender hasn’t exactly been a fixture in their side, and for ‘not a fixture’ read ‘has only started three league games all season.’ You’ll also know they’ve just sold arguably their best player, Juan Cuadrado, to Chelsea for a princely sum, but a princely sum cannot play on the wing - for that they have Mohamed Salah. They also have Vincenzo Montella as their manager, who when he’s not looking like a genetic splicing of Javier Zanetti and the bloke from Die Hard II: Die Harder who does nude tai chi has been pretty impressive for La Viola this season, taking them to fourth place thanks to the subtle excellence of players like Borja Valero and David Pizarro, and perhaps because the old boy has been encouraging his charges to lay back on the maroon leather couch and talk about their feelings: It’s important for us to go in with enthusiasm, not with euphoria. We’ll have to show reverence, but not fear against such a great team. We must be ready from a tactical point of view, but our psychological preparation will be just as fundamental. We’ll be up against a strong team and we’ll be playing in a stadium I’m not familiar with. I don’t know if it’s the most important match for me, as I have coached in the Champions League too. We want to win and progress in this competition, and tomorrow’s game will give us excitement and experience. We’ll be respectful of the referee’s decisions without being intimidated by him. Hopefully l’Aeroplanino found time to do some coaching and stuff rather than spending every hour reading ‘zen thought of the day’ toilet paper, but he certainly seems to have got his players prepared up top, if nothing else. Could be a good one this, but we shall find out for sure presently. Kick-off: 8.05 GMT 7.05pm GMT19:05 Nick will be here shortly with all the team news. In the meantime, read up on what Nacer Chadli has been saying in the build-up to the game: Nacer Chadli believes the high fitness level of Tottenham’s squad will prove pivotal during a crucial few weeks for Mauricio Pochettino’s side that includes aEuropa League knockout tie against Fiorentina and the Capital One Cup final. Spurs play La Viola at White Hart Lane on Thursday evening in the first leg of their European double-header, with a league match against West Ham sandwiched in between before they face Chelsea at Wembley. They will play six matches in the next 17 days but Pochettino was unfazed at the challenge posed by Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina, confident that his side have adapted to the mental and physical exertions of Thursday-Sunday matches despite his admission that the coming weeks are the most significant in his managerial career. Chadli stated that his fitness was the best it has ever been thanks to GPS tracking that the Spurs coaching staff use to assess the players, something he believes will see them through a difficult period. “They [the coaching staff] don’t kill us but they want to make us better and better,” Chadli said. “If you want to be better you have to work; if you don’t work your fitness level goes down. They know what to do to get it up,” said Chadli. We can fully play 90 minutes with a high tempo.” Asked if it was the fittest squad he had worked with, the Belgium international said: “Yes, for sure. You have everything. We work in the gym, we run outside and train always with intensity. If you don’t train with intensity it is totally different. “He [Pochettino] says before we start that we have to be sharp. He wants to make everyone sharp and be well trained. We always train with GPS. They are looking at players if they get tired, they can see it on the GPS. The amount we run, they can check everything. You cannot cheat. Or you put the GPS on a cat, I’ve tried that.” Read the full story here. |