gained.
Spurs trip to Leverkusen in the Champions League was a classic game of two halves, with another uninspiring performance from the visitors.
At half time in Germany it was just like West Brom all over again with Spurs having chances and not taking them when on top, while things were more even in the second half of the domestic game the host will have felt hard done by at the end in this European fixture.
At the end it was down to more Hugo heroics that Spurs weren’t looking at more points dropped.
It was a disjointed first half but Spurs had their chances, Janssen had the ball in the net but Son was flagged offside in the build up. The Dutchman also hit the bar with a really good chance, while Alli headed wide when he should have done a lot better. He’s missed a number from close range this season.
Second half, Leverkusen couldn’t be as bad and they weren’t. Schmidt, one of the few managers in Germany that isn’t a complete scruffbag, made the change that changed them for the better. Pochettino and Spurs didn’t and were worse.
It was an awful half from those in white who could barely scrape together one pass to a team mate never mind more. And when they weren’t missing simple passes they were giving it the old Peter Kay ‘ave it!
humps up the park to clear the lines. Which saw the ball come straight back at them.
Woeful, woeful stuff that saw Lloris take centre stage. That save, that save.
Chicharito probably still believes it crossed the line. Most people at the time thought it did. The official behind the goal sw nothing, they never do, and Hawk Eye said Hugo made one hell of a save.
Draging the ball back from the brink just in time while managing not to roll into the back of the net with it himself. Don’t know how but he did it.
He made other saves during that half while Spurs weren’t troubling the Bayer defence at all.
Pochettino again waited and waited before making a change, it was screaming out for Dembele to come on and offer some calm control but Poch waited until over the hour. Yes it was Dembele but for Janssen. Janssen again was doing everything right, except that one thing, he trudged off yet again not finishing a game, not getting the chance.
It looked the wrong choice for him and the team. Nobody was holding the ball up now, it just kept coming back at Spurs. Can’t say either Eriksen or Lamela were having that goo a game, either could have made way. Lamela went a few minutes later for Sissoko. This made very little difference.
In fact Dembele’s introduction added little to stopping the one way of play. Though it gave Wanyama a little respite. Again the central midfielder was all over the place. He along with Hugo and Jan were outstanding. One of Jan’s best performances stepping up in the absence of Toby. I also thought Trippier was better than some marks I saw him given, certainly better than 5/10. More tackles than anyone and intelligent getting forward, with a good cross.
While also some praise for Danny Rose, made some excellent challenges and got his head on one that heading goal-wards from not that far from him.
In the end it was a blessed relief for them to out of Germany with a point, still second in the group, third in the league and they’ve only really had one decent game…