SOCCER: BSC Young Boys 3 Tottenham 2:THEY LIKE their history at Tottenham Hotspur and on their return to Europe's grandest stage they appeared hell-bent on winding back the clock to ensure that the club maintained one of their age-old traditions – always do things the hard way and put the supporters through the wringer.
When Bill Nicholson’s fabled Double winners made Tottenham’s only previous foray into the European Cup, way back in the 1961-’62 season, they shipped four goals in their opening tie to Gornik in Poland before staging a revival to claw back to 4-2.
In the return leg in north London, they advanced after an 8-1 win on the night.
Harry Redknapp’s class of 2010 looked dead and buried here in Switzerland’s capital after a horror show in the first half hour left them three goals down and on the brink of humiliation. Weren’t Young Boys supposed to be out of form? Flares eluminated the scene as the home crowd bounced to a delirious beat.
But after Sebastien Bassong had fashioned a lifeline for Tottenham out of the chaos just before the interval, an improved second-half showing climaxed with Roman Pavlyuchenko fastening on to a neat ball from the substitute Robbie Keane to crash high into the near corner of the net.
Questions were asked of the Young Boys goalkeeper Marco Wolfli’s positioning but Tottenham were not complaining. They live to fight for next Wednesday’s return leg, when they will be fancied to progress.
It was no exaggeration to suggest that this was a tie with the capacity to shape destinies. Redknapp had insisted that the guaranteed €12 million that comes with qualification to the competition’s group phase – with the potential of more to follow – was not on his mind yet it did have ramifications for his transfer budget.
The Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy does not want to commit funds until he knows for certain whether his club will dine at Europe’s top table or return to the Europa League. Redknapp’s top targets are now the Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano and the free agent defender William Gallas.
This was principally about dreams, however, and one or two fluttered when the Champions League aria played before the kick-off. It appeared to freeze them. Tottenham have not even endured more nightmarish starts in recent years. Young Boys opened at a high tempo, working the ball slickly, pressing aggressively and the breakthrough goal, despite its indecent haste from a Tottenham point of view, had been advertised.
Senad Lulic took aim from the edge of the penalty area and, with Heurelho Gomes beaten, the ball rebounded off the base of the post.
Tottenham’s players appeared to struggle to come to terms with the surface, which had been watered in the countdown to kick-off, particularly the ball’s bounce and the way that it ran on quickly. Touches had to be sure; passes precise, ideally along the ground. Think five-a-side imperatives. Only Luka Modric looked comfortable for Tottenham at the outset.
Redknapp’s team were three goals down and staring into the abyss before they seemingly had time to clear their heads. First the outstanding Thierry Doubai’s shot hit his own player, Ammar Jemal, and when it broke, Lulic finished coolly.
Giovani dos Santos fluffed the chance to equalise, when one-on-one with the goalkeeper Marco Wolfli, before Doubai drove from central midfield and, with Michael Dawson turning like an oil tanker, Henri Bienvenu streaked away to beat Gomes. Moreno Costanzo then exposed Sebastien Bassong with a slide-rule throughball and Xavier Hochstrasser was in for number three.
Redknapp took decisive action, substituting Benoit Assou-Ekotto for Tom Huddlestone, and shuffling his pack to match up Young Boys in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Redknapp had made four changes to his starting line-up.
Niko Kranjcar, Modric’s replacement, almost played through Wilson Palacios, who began to assert himself more in central areas. Defoe and Pavlyuchenko, playing in behind the striker, began to flicker. There was yet another set-back, though, when Defoe pulled up and had to be substituted. On bounded Robbie Keane, whose transfer market admirers will note that he becomes cup-tied.
Young Boys had chances as Tottenham pressed for their second goal. Yet the last word went to Pavlyuchenko. Further drama should come as standard in the second leg.
BSC YOUNG BOYS:Wolfli, Sutter, Spycher, Affolter, Jemal, Lulic, Tape Doubai, Degen (Raimondi 90), Hochstrasser, Costanzo (Christian Schneuwly 65), Bienvenu. Subs not used: Burki, Marco Schneuwly, De Pierro, Regazzoni, Mayuka. Booked: Bienvenu.
TOTTENHAM:Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto (Huddlestone 36), Giovani, Palacios, Modric (Kranjcar 46), Bale, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe (Keane 66). Subs not used: Cudicini, Kaboul, Lennon, Crouch. Booked: Assou-Ekotto, Bassong.
Referee:Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).
