Asteras Tripolis 1 Spurs 2 – Match report

This was another episode in the series of Good Result, Dodgy Performances we’ve been starring in lately. However, it was our B team, the Greeks had never lost at home in Europe before, noone appeared to take a knock of any note and in the goals from Townsend and Kane there were positives to be drawn. The former forced the penalty for the first goal by making the sort of run we thought we’d see a lot more of when he first broke into the team and then floated a lovely cross above the Greek defenders for the man of the moment, Harry Kane to nod down and home.

The two goals put some gloss on an average, slow and lacking in ideas performance in the first half but there was nothing in the second to distract from a defensive display that had you opened mouthed at the amount of space to be found in front of and behind the back four especially the acres of grass around poor Eric Dier who must be longing for a centre back injury crisis so that he can return to what he knows best.

We had our own chances but they fell to the blunt rapier that is Soldado. The home side could and should have been very much back in the game after half time. We nearly suffered a repeat of Sameobi’s goal moments into the second half and that narrow escape was followed by many more brushes with disaster before Asteras finally pulled one back almost at the death. Ironically their goal game from one of the least clear cut of their multiple chances when Fazio, perhaps a tad clumsily, bundled into a forward who was already struggling to keep control of the ball. The red for Fazio may be Dier’s chance to have a go in the centre against Partizan.

Three points puts us joint top with Besiktas meaning that a win in our next game against Partizan will see us through which is great given that we’ve left the most difficult fixture until last, we don’t really want to go to Istanbul needing anything substantial.

Eight goals in eight games now, the Harry Kane juggernaut rolls on. COYS.

Related Topics