ends in Turkey.
Spurs perfect record in the Europa League ended with a flattering scoreline of 3-2 in defeat to Galatasaray, who didn’t let Spurs get away with another embarrassing display.
I the thirst two games of their Euopa League campaign, Spurs got away with it. They were thumped but walked away with victories, due to the opposition missing a ton of chances, good chances, gilt edge chances. It saw them joint top of the league, when but for bad finishing they could have been plumb bottom after two games and not much higher after three.
Galatasaray spurned chances, they spurned plenty of chances, in fact they went full Spurs pretty much in both halves and in fact could have ended up throwing away two points, with Spurs an open goal away from grabbing an undeserved point.
But the Turkish hosts took enough of the chances they created to see that unbeaten run ended.
They started early, 6th minute and what a screamer. They could have, should have extended the lead before Spurs drew level. Lankshear getting his first senior goal for the club, being on the end of Johnson’s first time cross, coming from a glorious ball over the top from Gray. It quietened the crowd. But not for long.
Before the half was up, Galatasaray were 3-1 up. Spurs were a shambles. Nothing in midfield, and even worse in defence. Three one flattered them. It was all two easy for them to bypass the midfield and saunter away from the defenders. While Forster was going down in stages for the goals.
Son and Johnson were withdrawn at half-time for Bentancur and Kulusevski. Son had looked like the weary Son we’ve seen, not the one that put that great cross in at the weekend. Bentancur was needed in that overrun middle, Bergvall was looking like a boy amongst men.
Though nothing much changes. Forster started off the half somehow letting the ball go through his massive hands, which he and Spurs got away with. The shot count for the first half was 12-1, it was 17-4 in the second. They were missing chances. How they didn’t add to their lead was well… just like the teams in those first two games.
Then on the hour, shortly after picking up a booking, Lankshear went in and committed a stupid foul, born out of frustration. Frustration of not getting a foul he though he should, but maybe also a frustration of being up front in a team that was creating nothing. He can’t argue about the red. It was no surprise that when he departed he’d touched the ball less than any of the players that started in either team.
Shortly after Ange removed Maddison, who had moments but not many, and Bergvall for Sarr and Solanke. Getting desperate. It didn’t take log for Solanke to get on the score sheet. Three minutes. A back-heel flick from Porro’s battered cross. After Galatasaray had missed a number of good chances it was just one goal in it.
And that one goal was there. Kulusevski the great hero of the season and an open goal, the hosts had just had another chalked off for offside, with the keeper well out of his area, Kulusevski on his stronger foot, his left, had an open goal to aim at. Yes he was just 10 yards into the opposition half but he had plenty to go for. Yet hooked it right, 6 yards right. Awful attempt.
It would have been a smash and grab point. It was another example of the understudies not working when mass changes are made. And just like last season after 10 games in the PL, what’s gonna come without Ange’s first two centrebacks.