Champions Youth League, Group H, Game 6
       Hotspur Way, Whitewebbs Road, Enfield
         Wednesday 6th December 2017, 2pm

             SPURS     V     APOEL
          (All White)     (All Yellow)
            4-1-4-1         4-4-1-1

              4(3)            1(0)

Spurs:– Austin; Eyoma, Marsh, Tanganga, Bennetts; Skipp(Bowden 82); S. Shashoua, Edwards(C), P. Maghoma(Reynolds 61), Roles; Griffiths(Richards 73)

Unused Subs:- De Bie; Patterson, Hinds, A. Shashoua.

Scorers:– Griffiths 11, Edwards 29, Tanganga 42, Richards 80

Booked:– Richards 89(Foul)

Coach:– John McDermott

APOEL:– Paraskevas; Sokratous(Okkarides 46), Adoni(C), Scottis, Karayiannis; Artemiou, Andreou(Koukos 82), Stylianides, Naoum(Polikarpou 46); Kouppis; Grubac

Unused Subs:- Priniotaki, Papadopoulos, Papoutsos, Veletinas

Scorer:– Adoni 61

Booked:– Kouppis 58(Foul)

Coach:– Bruno Da Silva

Attendance:– 175

Referee:– Erik Lambrechts(BEL)
Assistants:– Karel De Rocker & Thibaud Nijssen(BEL)
Fourth Official:– John Brooks(ENG)

It was a chilly windy afternoon at the Spurs training ground for the last group match against APOEL of Nicosia. Tottenham top the group but needed a win to make sure of finishing top and going into the round of 16 as Dortmund could overtake them if they beat Real Madrid. Spurs lost in Nicosia 1-0 despite having most of the play. If they finished second they would have to play-off against clubs' youth league winners that did not make the Champions League before getting to the round of 16.

Spurs lined up with Austin in goal behind Marsh and Tanganga with Eyoma at right back and Bennetts on the left. Skipp anchored the midfield with Edwards and Maghoma ahead of him flanked by Shashoua on the right and Roles on the left in support of Griffiths up front. The striker was getting a start due to the promotion of Sterling to the first team at Wembley. His place on the bench was taken by Rodel Richards fresh from his hat-trick on Saturday against Villa.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the East end and quickly took control of the match with Griffths playing in Edwards for a chance that he put wide. It did not take long to finally break through with a cross from Roles that Griffiths converted with a low finish to take the lead. Griffiths fired over from a Shashoua cross as Spurs continued to press. Bennetts laid the ball inside for Edwards to dribble into the area and score at the near post to double the lead.

Shashoua played in Griffiths to fire wide before Edwards gave the striker the ball to draw a save from Paraskevas who then fumbled it out for a corner. Griffiths then struck the far post with another effort when played in by Shashoua. Shashoua was the provider of the third goal just before half-time when his corner caused confusion in the APOEL box and Tanganga got the final touch at the back post. Skipp who was able to get forward a lot tried a chip from the edge of the area that was just over the bar before the break.

APOEL made two changes for the second half and changed their formation into a more attacking 4-3-3 making the game more open. Maghoma went wide from a Griffiths lay-off before Artemiou drew a save from 40 yards - an easy first save for Austin. A Shashoua free kick found Roles in the area on the left and when he was bundled over by Kouppsis the referee awarded a penalty and booked the Cypriot player. Edwards stepped up to take the kick but hit it high and off the crossbar and away to safety.

APOEL then got a goal themselves when a free kick from the right was turned in at the near post by captain Adoni at the second attempt. In response Spurs made their first change taking off Maghoma and replacing him with Reynolds who went to left back to allow Bennetts to stay up on the left flank as Roles moved inside.

Bennetts got into the area to head wide from an Edwards centre. Griffiths made way for Richards in the next change before Andreou fired over. Richards then marked his first game in the tournament by getting on the scoresheet. Roles played the ball out to Edwards on the right and his cross was finished by the striker. Roles won a corner when his effort was saved by Paraskevas. Spurs' last change was Bowden swapping places with Skipp. Edwards took a free kick on the edge of the “Dee” which he got over the wall but the keeper saved to his left. Richards went into the ref's book for a foul on Koukos near the end.

The win cemented Spurs top place position and a place in the last 16. Real Madrid go into the play-offs by beating Dortmund. Spurs performance was as good as in Nicosia but with the goals matching their performance on this occasion.

Ray

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