Champions Youth League, Quarter-Final, 2017-18
         Hotspur Way, Whitewebbs Road, Enfield
              Tuesday 13th March 2018, 3pm

                 SPURS     v     FC PORTO
              (All White)      (All Yellow)
                4-1-4-1            4-4-2

                  0(0)              2(2) 

           Brandon Austin  1  Diogo Costa
              Tariq Hinds  2  Pedro Justiniano
           Jamie Reynolds  3  Diogo Queiros
             George Marsh  4  Diogo Leite
        Japhet Tanganga(C) 5  Diogo Bessa
            Timothy Eyoma  6  Paulo Estrela(C)
          Samuel Shashoua  7  Kuku Fidelis
             Oliver Skipp  8  Joao Lameira
                              (16)90Mins
            Reo Griffiths  9  Joao Lopes
            Paris Maghoma 10  Romario Baro
          Keanan Bennetts 11  Madi Queta

             Dylan Duncan 12  Ricardo Silva
                (5)46Mins
          Jonathan De Bie 13  Isah Musa
              Jaden Brown 14  Tiago Lopes 
                (3)67Mins
         Jonathan Dinzeyi 15  Afonso Sousa
                              (10)81Mins
    Brooklyn Lyons-Foster 16  Rui Pires
                          17  Santiago Vera
        Pheonix Patterson 18  Junior Robles
               (10)46Mins     (17)74Mins
             Jamie Bowden 19

Scorers:-
                              Skipp 30 (o.g.)
                              Vera 40

Booked:-
Marsh 65(Foul), 90+3(Foul)    Queta 34(10yds.)
Hinds 47(Foul)                Bessa 62(Holding)
Eyoma 85(Foul)

Sent off:-
Marsh 90+3

Coach:-
             Scott Parker     Joao Brandao 

Referee:– Georgi Kabakov(BUL)
Assistants:– Divan Valkov & Martin Margaritov(BUL)
Fourth Official:– John Brooks(ENG)

It was a chilly cloudy afternoon for this quarter-final tie. The winners will play either Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-final in Switzerland next month. In the last round Spurs beat AS Monaco on penalties after drawing 1-1 while FC Porto beat Saltzburg 3-1. Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid to meet either Manchester City or Liverpool in the other semi-final. Entry for the game was strictly controlled and even I had trouble getting in.

Spurs lined up with Austin in goal behind Tanganga and Eyoma with Hinds at right back and Reynolds on the left. Marsh anchored the midfield with Skipp and Maghoma ahead of him. They were flanked by Shashoua on the right and Bennetts on the left in support of Griffiths up front. The visitors started with Costa in goal behind Justiniano and Leite with Queiros on the right and Bessa on the left. Estrela and Pires (no. 16)were in central midfield flanked by Musa (no. 13) and Baro with Queta and Vera (no. 17) up front. (Ed: Teams are listed above by squad numbers, and not necessarily in order of selection. Number 8 Lameira was a 90th minute replacement for Pires)

Spurs defended the East end in the first half which was an untidy game. Both sides looked to attack but got bogged down in the middle as neither could hold onto the ball for long. Maghoma had the first chance when his effort was deflected and had to be saved by Costa as it dipped towards the far top corner. Bessa had a shot blocked before the visitors opened the scoring. It came from a corner that was headed down at the far post but turned in by Skipp's attempted clearance.

The goal stirred Spurs into action and they began to string passes together. The response by Porto was to try and break up the play which saw Queta booked for not retreating ten yards at a free kick. Spurs fell further behind when Skipp gave the ball away to Vera which allowed the Porto striker to go through one on one with Austin, scoring with a shot that squeezed under the keeper's body. Austin saved a shot for a corner just before the break.

Spurs made a double change for the start of the second half. Duncan and Patterson went into the midfield in place of Tanganga and Maghoma. Skipp took Tanganga's place in the back four with Eyoma taking the captain's armband. Shashoua and Bennetts swapped wings as well. Marsh covered for the attacking runs by Hinds who fired wide early on.

After Bennetts was fouled, Shashoua hit the free kick over. Hinds drew a save before Bessa was booked for holding Shashoua. Marsh picked up his first booking for a foul on Queta. Spurs made their last change replacing Reynolds with Brown at left back. Vera headed Bessa's cross wide before Shashoua played in Patterson for a chance that he fired wide. Queta drew a save from Austin before Queiros headed over at a corner.

Porto began making changes as they looked to see out the game. Queta fired over before he was fouled by Eyoma which saw the Spurs defender booked. Hinds had another effort that flew over in added time. Spurs had a free kick at the end of added time which was floated into the six yard box and Marsh jumped into Costa. The ref gave him a second yellow and sent him off before blowing up for time.

Spurs never really got going and Porto took advantange without playing that well themselves. Griffiths hardly got into the game and Bennetts was fouled whenever he looked like getting away. The Spurs passing game was not working and the visitors made the most of it. Hopefully Skipp's mistake for the second goal does not hit his confidence as he has been improving all season scoring his first goal last Saturday.

Ray

Follow @spursodyssey