Spurs international watch: Promotion secured for duo
By Tom Vinall
On Saturday night, to conclude day three of football for Tottenham Hotspur players during this November international break - there was a game for Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, and their Sweden side - as they hosted Slovakia in the UEFA nations league.
For the game, Kulusevski was again deployed as a number ten behind Viktor Gyokeres and Aleksander Isak, in a pretty mouth watering attack. Bergvall was named amongst the substitutes by manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Just three minutes in, and Sweden had the lead, courtesy of a goal Isak teeing up Gyokeres to score and give Tomasson's side the dream start in Solna.
Promotion secured for Tottenham Hotspur duo on Saturday
However, after Sweden missed a big chance to double their lead, they would be made to pay, as after 19 minutes, Slovakia would equalise, and the sides would go into the half time interval a goal a piece.
Nevertheless, just three minutes into the second period, Gyokeres returned the favour, teeing up his strike partner Isak to score with his left foot, and put Sweden back into the lead - a goal that they deserved.
That goal would prove crucial, as it was the final goal of the game - enough to give Sweden all three points on the night, and secure their promotion to league B of the nations league. They sit with 13 points from five games, three points above Slovakia with a game to spare, but their superior head to record means that the group is already won.
It was not Kulusevski's best game so far this season, but the 24-year old still recorded; two shots on target, two shots off target, 74 touches of the ball, two chances created, 1/1 accurate crosses, 1/1 accurate long balls, two fouls drawn, and four tackles. Bergvall remained an unused substitute throughout the game.
With Sweden having topped the group, hopefully this means that Jon Dahl Tomasson will rotate for the final game, perhaps giving Bergvall a start, and giving Kulusevski some rest. Those two things could well go hand in hand.
Next up for Kulusevski, Bergvall, and their Swedish counterparts, for that aforementioned final game of the group stages of this iteration of the nations league, and their final game in league C, is a home game against Azerbaijan on Tuesday evening, with a 19:45 CET kick off for that one.
Congrats to Spurs pair Kulusevski, Bergvall, and all of their counterparts