UEFA EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
4TH QUALIFYING ROUND (2ND LEG)
THURSDAY 26TH AUGUST, 2021
(7.45pm)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3(2) PACOS DE FERREIRA 0(0)
Spurs won 3-1 on aggregate

Scorers:-
Kane, 9,34
Antunes (o.g.), 70

Attendance:- 30,215

Referee:- Ruddy Buquet
Assistants:- Guillaume Debart & Frédéric Haquette
Fourth official:- Amaury Delerue
(All officials from France)

Teams:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Gollini; Doherty, Romero, Dier, Davies; Lo Celso, Winks, Gil (sub Bergwijn, 73), Sessegnon (sub Hojbjerg, 63); Lucas Moura (sub Dele, 84), Kane (Capt.) (sub Son, 72)
(Armband to Dier)

Subs not used: Austin; Reguilon, Sanchez; Skipp, John, Markanday; Scarlett

Booked:- Romero (foul on Jorge Silva), Gil (foul)

Pacos (5-4-1):- Andre Ferreira; Jorge Silva, Baixinho (Capt.), Flavio Ramos, Maracas, Antunes (sub Fernando Fonseca, 76); Delgado (sub Helder Ferreira, 69), Rui Pires, Eustaquio (sub Nuno Santos, 77), Lucas Silva (sub Ze Uilton, 77); Denilson (sub Douglas Tanque, 70)

Subs not used:- Almeida (GK); Lima, Luis Bastos; Djalo, Ibrahim, Luiz Carlos; Joao Pedro

Booked:- Denilson (foul on Romero), Antunes (Dissent), Rui Pires (foul on Lo Celso)

Pacos given a little dose of Kane

Harry Kane cemented the fact he was back in the fold last night, not that he was ever allowed to leave by Daniel Levy. Harry was given a rousing reception when he was announced as a member (and Captain) of the strong Spurs team selected to play Pacos de Ferreira who had the audacity to beat us last week. That reception was increased when Harry scored his 222nd and 223rd club goals in a first half when Spurs put the visitors in their place. Pacos had been given a little dose of “The Kane”, and Spurs took their place in today’s Europa Conference League Group draw.

The upper tier had not been opened, but a healthy crowd was in attendance with the South Stand looking two-third full. Pacos opted to play a defensive 5-4-1, no doubt hoping to hold onto their slender first leg lead. Even when the fell behind on aggregate, they didn’t trouble Spurs much at all.

Spurs kicked off and played towards the North Stand. Nuno opted for a 4-4-2 with Bryan Gil playing a more disciplined but nonetheless exciting performance in central midfield with Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon either side of him. Lucas Moura played beside Kane up front. Harry might have had his first goal after only 19 seconds when he was onto a long ball forward, but from the left side of the area he put his shot just over the target.

The Pacos captain needed early treatment and his team tested Gollini with an early corner. It wasn’t long though before Spurs became dominant with Lo Celso hitting a left foot shot just over the target, before Spurs had the lead. Harry Winks made a good tackle, putting his body on the line before finding Gil with a good ball. Gil put Kane clear and Kane did not fail, shotting across the keeper from the left. Kane soon showed his creative skills putting Sessegnon in with a good chance with a long pass. Ryan could not quite get the right touch on the ball.

Spurs cleared a free kick taken from the right and followed that with a ball in from the right by Lucas Moura and an exciting bit of play by Lo Celso. Sessegnon was blocked off at the back post. Lucas also combined with the advancing Doherty who tried to reach Kane with his cross, but the ball was cleared. Gil was put in by Sessegnon, but slipped at a crucial moment. Gil returned the compliment for Ryan, but there was an offside flag raised here.

Kane fed Gil towards the left of goal but Gil’s cross was too close to the keeper. Cristian Romero was shown an early yellow card and he will have to watch his card quota as the season progresses. Spurs got through on the right side of goal with Kane feeding Gil. His shot was deflected onto the outside of the post and won a corner taken by Lo Celso, but held by the keeper. Harry Kane made it 2-0 in the 34th minute after Lo Celso’s shot was blocked but the ball fell to Harry, who scored from close range.

Lo Celso hit a great ball out to Lucas Moura on the right but Lucas’s cross failed to find Kane’s feet. Spurs conceded a cheap corner, but Lucas managed to clear the ball at the near post. In added time at the other end, Lucas crossed again from the right and found Lo Celso, but this chance was also cleared.

Our group had seats in the lower West Stand in front of the press box, and both Clive Allen and Michael brown were spotted in that section.

Spurs won a free kick early in the second half, taken by Lo Celso, with the ball passing the side netting in front of the South Stand. Gil had another shot deflected out for a corner after Doherty’s header had found Bryan. Lucas tried to find Kane in the area, but the goalkeeper was first to the ball. Sessegnon was the first Spurs player to be replaced and this saw Hojbjerg enter the arena, presumably to make sure we did not lose our aggregate lead.

After 64 minutes Lucas fed the ball to Doherty who crossed for either Lo Celso or Kane, but the shot was blocked and there might have been an offside here anyway. Lo Celso teed up Gil on the left, but his effort passed wide across the goalmouth. Spurs increased their lead and sealed the game in the 70th minute. Lo Celso took a free kick from the right of the box, and a deflection off Antunes saw the ball hit the net! Job done!

Gollini probably had his one save to make from Lucas Silva, which he did confidently. Further substitutions followed with Son replacing Harry and Bergwijn taking over from Gil. Bergwijn showed a few flashes down the left flank too. Spurs were on top and there was a good scoring chance for “Sonny”, but he put that wide. Bergwijn also hit the outside of the post with another shot after 77 minutes. “Sonny” won a corner with another shot from the right of goal, and had another effort cleared five minutes from the end after Bergwijn’s pass. There were three minutes of added time to play out, during which Gollini held a header by Pacos sub Douglas Tanque.

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