Michael Owen says Spurs midfielder can’t be forgiven for second half mistake 

Tottenham’s display in the first half against Olympiacos on Wednesday evening was extremely poor as they allowed the hosts to dictate proceedings.

Somehow Spurs still found themselves 2-1 ahead at half time but the score would have been completely different if the Greek side had been little more clinical.

Although Spurs ended up conceding the equaliser after the break, the second half display on the whole from Mauricio Pochettino’s men was an improvement on their first half showing.

While a draw was a fair result, Tottenham had the opportunities to score a third goal towards the end as Olympiacos tired but they failed to take their opportunities.

Former England striker Michael Owen has pinpointed one moment in particular towards the end of the game when Erik Lamela’s poor decision making, cost Spurs all three points.

The Argentine, after jinking past two Olympiacos defenders, decided to take a shot at goal from an extremely tight angle instead of squaring it to Harry Kane, who was unmarked in the centre.

Speaking about the incident, Owen said during BT Sport’s Champions League highlight show which was broadcast on September 18th:

“I think with Lamela, you can’t forgive him. It’s not a chance, you can’t score there. You score there one in 20.

“You have got to lift your head up. You can see his [Harry Kane’s] reaction, because he knows he would have passed there.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Lamela’s decision to take the shot instead of squaring it was extremely frustrating but a draw is the most Spurs deserved from that game.

The Argentine usually is quite unselfish in the final third and so it was a surprise to see him take the shot on. However, I actually thought Lamela had a decent impact on the game when he came on.

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