Tottenham 3 Inter Milan 1:TOTTENHAM ARE level on points with Internazionale at the head of Group A after a performance that mostly put them far beyond the reach of the Champions League holders.
There was tension once the prolific Samuel Eto’o trimmed the lead to 2-1 by scoring expertly from a Wesley Sneiijder pass in the 80th minute but Tottenham’s reaction was true to their forthrightness.
Gareth Bale yet again outran the visitors’ defence to lay on his side’s third goal for the substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko in the 89th minute. The sustained boldness of Harry Redknapp’s side deserved this reward.
Inter did strive to swagger, employing the midfielder Sneijder in so advanced a post that he virtually acted as a partner to the striker Eto’o. Inter, conscious that Spurs can falter in defence, were a team attempting then to seize control of the night but that looked an unrealistic hope for much of the evening.
This match intrigued because the game with Inter at San Siro was so open to interpretation. After losing the goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to a red card and then falling 4-0 behind, Tottenham showed remarkable resilience. More than that, they scored three goals, all of them claimed by the irrepressible Bale. The visitors left Milan with their morale intact if not strengthened.
Inter were fully aware then of Bale’s talent last night but there were other presences to harry them. Tottenham took the lead after 18 minutes when Benoit Assou-Ekotto passed to Luka Modric and the midfielder evaded a challenge before releasing Rafael van der Vaart to score. The Dutchman, however, had to be replaced at the interval because of a hamstring injury.
The impact of the hosts had shaken Inter severely by then but the attitude of Tottenham ought not to have been a surprise. Redknapp’s side, after all, are hardly known for cold-blooded calculation. They had not kept a clean sheet in the dozen matches since they swept aside Young Boys 4-0 in the Champions League qualifier.
Inter stand second in Serie A and have lately recorded a couple of 1-0 away wins but they often tottered in the first half at White Hart Lane, with Aaron Lennon’s pace tearing at them on the right whenever Bale was not testing them on the left.
Inter, of course, were unlikely to disintegrate. They hinted at their powers of endurance just before the interval as Carlo Cudicini tipped over a free-kick from Sneijder.
The home side attacked for most of the evening. There is a measure of idealism to that but, as Redknapp argues, it is a realistic approach when the squad has so many players who are best suited to carrying the play to the opposition. Inter did not have a ready answer and someone such as Eto’o could not be recognised as a prolific scorer when he was denied service.
It was Tottenham who had authority in the build-up and the lead was extended in the 61st minute. The unanswerable Bale cut loose on the left once more and his low cross was converted by Peter Crouch. Inter had known the worth of the Welshman before they came to White Hart Lane, yet Rafael Benitez still had no answer to him. Bale and the others took Tottenham to a new level.
Guardian Service
TOTTENHAM:Cudicini, Hutton, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon (Palacios 84), Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart (Jenas 46), Crouch (Pavlyuchenko 76). Subs not used: Pletikosa, Keane, Bassong, Kranjcar. Booked: Hutton, Jenas, Modric.
INTER MILAN: Castellazzi, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Muntari (Nwankwo 53), Zanetti, Biabiany (Coutinho 64), Sneijder, Pandev (Milito 71), Eto'o. Subs not used: Orlandoni, Cordoba, Materazzi, Santon. Booked: Samuel, Chivu, Lucio.
Referee: V Kassai (Hungary).
REDKNAPP HAILS 'AMAZING' BALE
TOTTENHAM MANAGER Harry Redknapp hailed Gareth Bale’s performance last night.
“He was amazing,” he said. “They’re just doing some drug testing now, the dope testers are here, and I hope they’re testing him. Amazing.
“The way the boy can run and run and run. He’s against a right-back (Maicon) who is rated as the best right-back in the world and what he’s done to him over the last two games is amazing.
“He’s got great ability. It’s not just his pace, He’s got the ability to cross, his left foot is great on the run, he can shoot, dribble, head it, he’s got everything.”
