|
In typical Tottenham style, the chance to run up a big score against a
side who had already lost large in Europe this season, was passed over,
as a Radek Cerny slip let his former club back in and take a one goal
deficit to White Hart Lane as Spurs won 2-1.
Having the benefit of an early goal through
Dimitar Berbatov's well-taken shot that caught the goalkeeper on his
heels, Tottenham proceeded to create chances, but fail to capitalise on
most of them and thus spurn an opportunity to seal the tie in the first
game.
Taking to the field with a much changed
side once more, Spurs had Didier Zokora in the middle of the back four
replacing Kaboul and Dawson, and Tainio coming in for the ineligible
Hutton, while Berbatov replaced Bent in the starting line-up. Tom
Huddlestone moved up from defence to midfield in place of Kevin-Prince
Boateng.
It all started so well, with Jemraine
Jenas making a run to the edge of the D and being tackled. but the ball
dropped in front of Dimi, who struck his shot early as the spinning ball
was invitingly there for the effort. The drive stayed low to the
floor and did not allow the keeper Vaniak the time to move his feet and
the ball went in just out of his reach to give Tottenham an early 1-0
advantage.
Whether the early goal was a good thing,
I am not sure in hindsight. Spurs decided that with the cushion of
a goal that they could enjoy some showboating as Slavia were still
finding their feet after two months without a competitive match during
their winter break. Having said that, they nearly got in
immediately, when a weak clearing header by Tainio went wide and Pudil's
shot didn't bend enough to come back towards the goal, but went a yard
wide.
With so much time on the ball and so much
possession, Spurs were trying all sorts of tricks and flicks, but not
all came off. Berbatov's impudent overhead lob into the box found
Keane's head at the far post, but he had pushed his opponent to get to
it, then Keane's flick was too far ahead of Jenas, who was going for the
return pass. At the other end of the pitch, Slavia tries to make
headway, but they were poor when it came to the final pass and Cerny's
effort which flew over the top by a yard was the closest they came.
Aaron Lennon's run onto Keane's through
pass almost saw the lead doubled, but Vaniak got his legs to the shot
and kept it out, but on the half hour, a good passing move from Spurs
from back to front saw Jeans clattered as he laid off a pass to Robbie
Keane on the left of the area. Taking the ball early as the keeper
rushed out, he guided it past him and into the net for 2-0 as his great
goal-scoring run continues.
Teemu Tainio was doing well at right
back, but got a yellow card for his first foul, which was a bit rich
when Dimitar was getting a battering every time the ball was played up
to him. It was Berbatov who ignored Steed Malbranque outside him
to step inside to hit a shot just over the bar and Jenas did the same
when a number of players were fighting over who would take a free-kick
from just outside the area. Keane had the next one from a foul,
but hit the wall, as everyone was wanting to get on the action.
Berbatov almost made the game safe just
before half-time, when he struck a shot that the keeper beat out, but it
went back to the Bulgarian and his first time effort was saved by a good
recovery by Vaniak, who pushed the ball out once more. The goalie
made an equally good stop a minute later, as Pascal Chimbonda cut in
from the left wing and let the ball go invitingly in front of Tom
Huddlestone, who cracked a firmly hit shot that the keeper pushed out.
After the break, there was no reason to
expect any less than the same from Spurs, but with Huddlestone being
played into the area by Berbatov, his shot bounced behind off the
outside of the post and Lennon's deflected effort was pushed out by
Vaniak, who was having a good game, it looked like it was only a matter
of time before Tottenham added to their lead.
Having been warned by Tavares' header
over the top from a corner and Latka fired a cleared header just a yard
wide, there was a goal for Slavia, which came out of nothing. An
up and under cross from Hubacek found Cerny uncomfortably under his
crossbar and the on loan from Slavia keeper's handling let him down as
he dropped the ball on the line, leaving the waiting Strihavka the
simple task of tapping the ball into the goal.
From being in total control, Spurs were
suddenly pegged back to 2-1 and the home side were buoyed by the goal,
which they could not have dreamed of the way they had been playing.
However, it was Spurs who almost got the
next goal in the game, when Berbatov got up from having been fouled
again to curl a free-kick over the wall and into the top corner, if only
Vaniak had not leapt to the right to tip the ball away for a corner with
a fantastic save.
Ivana fell to the turf when he tried to
get a ball that was too far ahead of him, but Zokora did not touch him
and the ref waved play on and Spurs took the ball forward to provide
Lennon with a shooting opportunity, which he struck straight at the
goalie. Then Malbranque took a quick shot that went just wide with
the keeper stranded, before Steed turned provider to Huddlestone, who
hit Vaniak with his shot.
When the Slavia scorer Strihavka got in
on the right side of the box, he managed to squeeze a shot away, but it
went across the goal and past the far post, with Cerny having it covered
if it had hit the target. Five minutes from the end, Tottenham
were grateful when Brabec rose highest to a corner and smacked his
header against the bar and it bounced out. Spurs should not have
been in the situation where they were worried about Slavia getting a
second, but they were left almost hanging on in the final minutes of
normal time. In fact, Ivana and Volesak wasted clear shooting
opportunities by hitting shots without enough power to sufficiently
trouble Cerny.
After the previous twenty minutes, it was
surprising that Tottenham looked the most likely to add to the
score-line when Lennon used his pace to break away and Berbatov had a
good chance to test the keeper again, but his shot went into the
side-netting.
In summary, this was a game that
Tottenham should have used to see them through to a quarter final
against PSV or Helsinborgs, but the lack of clinical finishing once
ahead left them glad for the two away goals and the lead as they go back
for the next leg in a week's time.
I should imagine that Juande Ramos will
not be too happy at the way Spurs went about the game after going 1-0
up. With Slavia there for the taking, Tottenham tried to turn in a
show of entertainment rather than one which saw them through without any
hiccups. It leaves the second leg delicately balanced, although
with home advantage and not having another match before the second leg,
Spurs should progress, but Slavia should not be under-rated, nor should
Spurs forget that a slip will soon change the face of a game.
CHARLIE MASON |
Slavia
Prague 
