Emmanuel Adebayor’s Goal Takes Tottenham Through on Away Goals
By Alan Hill
It was a long, tough night for Tottenham in the San Siro as Inter scored three goals without reply to take the Europa League match to extra time. Emmanuel Adebayor scored a vital away goal for Spurs in the 96th minute and although Inter scored again, in a nail-biting finale, the tie ended level at 4 – 4 with Spurs progressing to the quarter-finals, courtesy of the away goals rule.
Pre-match thoughts:
Emmanuel Adebayor scored vital away goal. [Photo: Jav The_Doc_66]I do so hope they don’t get an early goal. I’m still not as confident as most. Circumstances can conspire against you as you are well aware. I think we missed a fit Lennon and a really match fit Defoe against Liverpool. Without Bale either this evening we will be a different team to the one that went on that fantastic run. In a strange way, I think Arsenal’s performance last night will give Inter hope. An early goal for us would be fantastic. If we can get through this and beat Fulham we will be back on track. Here’s hoping…
Inter Milan 4 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Scorers: Cassano, Palacio, Gallas (og), Alvarez Adebayor
Team: Friedel, Walker, Vertonghen, Gallas©, Naughton (Caulker), Sigurdsson, Parker, Livermore (Lennon), Dembele, Adebayor, Defoe (Holtby) Subs: Lloris, Assou-Ekotto, Carroll, Huddlestone
1st Half:
Well, we’ve survived 10 mins. Looking very composed. Especially back four. Good movement and passing. Home crowd getting irritated already. Good start.
11 min. Corner from Defoe shot.
Livermore gets booked for time wasting over taking a free kick in our own half. Defoe offside from ensuing free kick. Spurs have scored 23 goals since either Defoe or Adebayor scored.
13 min. Inter break down the right. Cassano through on the right. Shot smothered by Friedel.
16 min. Cassano through again. Goes down under slight challenge from Gallas. Seemed eager to attract challenge rather than shoot. He and the crowd very upset when he didn’t get a penalty then had a go at officials. He is clearly trying to soften them up for future attempts at the same thing.
20 min. 1 – 0 Yep, Inter through on the right for the 3rd time in 5 minutes. This time Cassano had drifted to left of area and headed down so it bounced up into the net from cross. 1-0. Crowd and Inter players go wild. Here we go.
22nd minute. Lovely curling shot from Sigurdsson on the left. Saved.
Inter now playing like they believe. 25 min Adebayor bit of a juggle in the area, spins and whacks it over bar.
This is looking dodgy. Cassano puts Palacio through with ball over the top. His shot beats Friedel and whacks the bar on the way out… We need a change. We are rattled and they are starting to run riot. I’d beef up midfield before it’s too late.
Without a change, you can feel 3-0 coming…
30 min. AVB anxious, pacing touchline. They keep getting down the right. Cassano man of the match so far.
Inter are a different team to the first game. Now working the left well too.
34 min. Rare Spurs break. Nice play by Dembele. The Defoe races into RHS of area. Squares for Adebayor who doesn’t anticipate the ball.
Cambiasso penalised for 2nd challenge on Dembele on right in a short period of Spurs possession. Free header for Walker from Sigurdsson free kick. Glances it across face of goal and out for goal kick.
Palacio pulls Naughton back in race for through ball. Complains to boos from crowd.
40 min. Spurs corner comes to nothing. Awful pass in midfield under no pressure gives throw and possession to Milan. Zanetti at 40 years old outpaces Adebayor in race for through ball. 43 mins Inter shot from distance well over bar. Friedel booked for time wasting on goal kick. Milan through again on right. Nothing comes of cross.
45 min ball over the top again. Hard shot from Inter hits Friedel.
We break down other end. Golden chance for Adebayor. Must score. Whacks it over bar. I think Inter and everyone else in the ground will come out for the 2nd half believing they can pull this off.
2nd Half:
Losing this game is annoying enough but Palacio’s haircut makes it even more annoying. There have been some damn silly haircuts on display this week. Especially the Bayern players against Arsenal but Palacio’s takes the biscuit. He looks like he is bald until you see a close up and then you notice he has 6 inches of hair as thick as a piece of string hanging down the back of his neck. It is so silly. Once you have spotted it, it becomes distracting. The defenders were probably doing a double take on it when he scored.
Spurs break. Adebayor lays it back. Easily cleared.
52 min. Palacio through. Offside.
53 min. 2 – 0 Palacio through again. Scores. It’s clear we are going out even at this stage.
Defoe can’t get a free kick out of this ref for love nor money. He has clearly made up his mind about him.
68 min. Zanetti runs off a lazy looking jogging Holtby into the area. Point blank save by Friedel but it’s clearly coming…
70 min. Lennon coming on for Livermore. Is he fit? Had he got any pace?
Here we go. Walker gives away cheap free kick on edge of the area. Come on Brad…
75 min. 3 – 0 Free kick goes through off the wall. Gallas stabs his foot out. Own goal. You just knew it was coming.
They’ll probably win this in normal time. The wheels have come off.
78 min. Walker booked for simulation. Doesn’t look like he’ll have to worry about missing quarter finals.
79 min. Now they have a corner. Lennon runs it out straight into trouble. Where is Bale? Yet again Adebayor loses it in the area. Gallas reverting to type when he’s losing. Throwing is weight around, sulking.
Another corner to Inter. They are all over us. Just give us 1 goal Spurs, please.
Out of the blue, great shot from Kyle Naughton. Great save from goalie. Corner easily headed out.
You can hear the Arsenal and Chelsea fans laughing again. Ref collides with his mate Cassano.
91 min. Cassano through again. 6ins wide of far post. We go down other end with Lennon twice. Extra time. Lucky to get this far. Pray to the football gods. Try and believe but in an extra half hour, even if we get one I can see them getting two. I am typing this live. I would love all my predictions to be wrong.
Extra-Time (1st half):
Three chances for us in quick succession. Lennon, Gallas from a corner. Vertonghen header. We should have our way goal. Now we are giving it a real go, luck just not with us
96 min. 3 – 1 Tottenham goal! Persistence and shot from Dembele. Adebayor, finally, for once in on the rebound, just before the defender. They now need two. It’s been a complete change in extra time. We have run the 5 minutes of extra time so far.
They are still capable of getting two on tonight’s showing. You can now hear the 1,500 Spurs fans, “When the Spurs go marching in”. I am proud of them and ashamed of my pessimism. This is typical Spurs. Shoot yourself in the foot. Never do it the easy way.
104 min. Inter corner. Deep. Backwards and forwards across area. Dembele poleaxed by Palacio’s elbow into his head. Header drops into Friedel’s arms. This happened just after we put on our last sub. I’m sure it wasn’t deliberate or calculated. He wouldn’t sink that low.
That could end it for us. If he stays on he’ll be a passenger now.
Great save by Friedel from Palacio in added time. Gathers corner
Gallas heads clear Cambiasso cross. He seems to have calmed down. Half time of extra time.
Extra-Time (2nd half):
Another great save from Friedel in 1st min. IF we get through this, he’s our man of the match.
109 min. 4 – 1 Spoke too soon. Cassano’s cross. Header from Alvarez. 4-4. Inter have 10 minutes to get the winner.
It’s all Inter again now. I’m sweating cobbs.
113 min. Sigurdsson wins free kick.
Another free-kick. Jesus booked. I didn’t realise they had heavenly help.
Adebayor booked for kicking their player at their end. 115 min. Inter corner. Out for goal kick.
Lennon gives it away to Inter outside our box. Cross too high. Inter break down left. On last legs. Corner. Up comes their goalie.
119 min. In comes their cross. WE are in danger of penalty for holding. Header over.
2 added minutes. Holtby gives away in midfield. Cassano run blocked. Whistle’s gone.
I can’t believe they’ve done it! My head is throbbing. Heart pounding. I don’t feel anything but rough. You keep doing this to me Spurs. Emotionally shot. Football, Bloody football. Over to you Logan. I’m done in.