Some profligate finishing from Lazio and a display of absolutely top quality keeping from Lloris helped us leave Rome with a point. A draw against Panathinaikos in December will be enough to get us out of the group and into the post-Christmas knockout stages.
We were extremely fortunate to get away with this one as the home side sliced through us repeatedly, more so in the second half and especially after Villas-Boas made substitutions that were designed to win us the game but in fact gave up the midfield and nearly cost us it.
There was a lack of quality on both sides but Lazio played with an energy in attack that only Bale on our side was close to matching. Carroll’s is a lightweight presence but his quick and angled passing stood out as most of our players struggled to control the ball on a bobbly pitch. Maybe I’m being harsh, we got a draw after all and should’ve been allowed a goal when Bale was incorrectly called offside, but the number of times a first time ball had the back four on the turn and chasing was embarrassing.
Still, we’re one game away from going through and have made a better fist of it than last year despite being in a tougher group.
Racist chanting at White Hart Lane, stabbings on Wednesday night & anti-Semitic songs during this game. Let’s hope we never have to play this shower ever again.
Great to see Dembele back, and well played Hugo.
By MF
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