UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
(Matchday 4)
THURSDAY 7TH NOVEMBER, 2024
5.45pm GMT
GALATASARAY 3(3) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2(1)
Galatasary scorers:-
Yunus Akgun, 6
Osimhen, 31, 39
Spurs scorers:-
Lankshear, 18
Solanke, 69
Attendance:- 51,739
Referee:- Lawrence Visser
Assistants:- Rien Vanyzere & Thibaud Nijssen
Fourth official:- Simon Bourdeaud'hui
VAR:- Bram Van Driessche
Assistant VAR:- Jan Boterberg
(All officials from Belgium)
Teams:-
Galatasaray (3-4-3):- 1. Muslera (Capt.); 23. Kaan Ayhan, 6. Sanchez, 42. Abdulkerim Bardacki; 53. Baris Alper, 34. Torreira, 20. Gabriel Sara (sub 18. Berkan Kutlu, 85), 11. Yunus Akgun (sub 24. Jelert, 80); 45. Osimhen (sub 8. Demirbay, 80), 10. Mertens (sub 22. Ziyech, 73), 9. Icardi (sub 44. Batshuayi, 85)
Subs not used:- 12. Batuhan Sen, 19. Gunay Guvenc (GKs); 25. Nelsson, 58. Ali Yesilyurt, 90. Metehan Baltaci; 30. Demir, 83. Efe Akman
Booked:- Mertens (foul on Bissouma), Sara (foul on Maddison), Torreira (kicked ball away)
Spurs (4-3-3):- 20. Forster; 23. Pedro Porro, 6. Dragusin, 33. Davies, 14. Gray; 10. Maddison (sub 29. Sarr, 66), 8. Bissouma, 15. Bergvall (sub 19. Solanke, 66); 22. Johnson (sub 30. Bentancur, 46), 42. Lankshear, 7. Son (Capt.) (sub 21. Kulusevski, 46)
(Armband to Maddison, then Davies)
Subs not used:- 1. Vicario 40. Austin; 13. Udogie, 48. Dorrington, 59. Cassanova; 64. Olusesi; 78. Williams-Barnett
Booked:- Dragusin (foul), Kulusevski (foul on Osimhen), Lankshear (foul on Kaan Ayhan), Bissouma (Dissent), Bentancur
Sent off (60th minute):- Lankshear - second yellow for foul on Sara.
10-man Spurs almost achieve a miracle result.
Thanks to Eugene Gasper for this image
This was surely Spurs' toughest assignment in their 8-game Europa League programme. Galatasaray are top of their league and unbeaten since Young Boys knocked them out of the Champions League play-off. They fielded their strongest front players in Yunus Akgun, Gabriel Sara, Dries Mertens, Mauro Icardi and Victor Osimhen.
Spurs were at their very worst when seeking to play out from the back and were so overrun by the Galatasary attack that Osimhen alone should have had four or five goals, and his team could have run up a cricket score. Early in the second half I wrote in my notes that it would be a miracle if we held on to what was a 3-1 deficit. There was a miracle because after 19-year-old Will Lankshear was sent off for a second bookable offence on the hour, the ten men played better than had the eleven. They scored a second goal and managed to press for an equaliser.
I wrote in my preview that defeat here would not be a disaster. The final 3-2 loss is a respectable scoreline, preserving a potentially precious positive goal difference.
Spurs had travelled without Romero, Richarlison, Van de Ven, Werner, Moore and Odobert. Despite the task facing him, Ange Postecoglou made seven changes and included youngsters Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and gave 19-year-old Will Lankshear his second Europa League start. Lankshear had an eventful night, scoring his first senior goal in the first half before the second half sending-off.
Galatasary went to the top of the Europa League table before the later games were played, and Spurs suffered their first defeat. Davinson Sanchez was playing against his old team for the first time.
Ange named eleven subs, two of whom were goalkeepers, and he had even younger players among those named. These were Dorrington (20), Cassanova (20), Olusesi (16) and Williams-Barnett (16).
The game, played in The Rams Stadium, was preceded by a light show and what was intended as silence for the flood victims of Valencia. This was not very well observed. The Galatasaray home stand displayed a couple of political banners (One was "Free Palestine"), which contravenes UEFA's rules.
Thanks to Stuart Gibson for this image
Spurs kicked off and of course their every touch was greeted by cacophonous whistling by the home support. Ben Davies played beside Dragusin and sent a good early ball to his captain. Son was fouled and after the free kick Johnson teed up Lankshear, but he was offside.
Maddison fouled Mertens who claimed the assists for both Osimhen's goals. Mertens' free kick was half-cleared by Gray with a header, but Yunus Akgun latched onto the ball with a glorious left-footed shot from 20 yards. Forster did get a touch, but the shot was too strong and hit the net inside the keeper's left post. Akgun became only the second Galatasary player to score in four consecutive European games.
Spurs were passing and defending nervously. Like all opponents, Galatasary pressed high and should have had a hatful of goals. Spurs survived a penalty claim when Forster cleared from the feet of Osimhen, who is on loan from Napoli.
Somehow, after suffering loads of pressure, Spurs managed to level. Archie Gray broke forward with Son and received a return pass from the Spurs skipper. Gray then hit an excellent long pass to the back post where Johnson returned the ball low to the middle enabling Lankshear to score from close range and to celebrate his landmark goal.
Johnson was subsequently offside when receiving a good pass by Bissouma after Gray had been fouled. There was no offside when Forster managed to parry an Osimhen shot. A follow-up shot by the veteran, but excellent Mertens was wide. More home pressure was eased when Bardacki was found to be offside. Osimhen had the ball in the net after 29 minutes but had been clearly offside. On this occasion a poor header out of his area by Dragusin, led to a bounce-back attack.
Osimhen did score after more disastrous playing out. Dragusin was booked after the goal for a foul which resulted in the ball running to Mertens who sent a pass to Osimhen who scored with a low shot.
Spurs survived a VAR check regarding a possible foul by Bissouma but survived again. Son was unable to control a rare long pass out of the Spurs half (by Dragusin) and the chance to progress was squandered. Icardi fired over at the other end.
Sanchez fouled his former team-mate but was not carded. Maddison took a poor free kick. Maddison was guilty of being caught on the ball a couple off times in the middle and even managed to beat himself near the touchline on one occasion.
Forster saved again from Osimhen, but the striker soon scored with a deft left-footed touch when that man Mertens lifted a cross over the Spurs defence.
There were three minutes of first half added time, during which a left foot shot by Sara passed wide of the far post.
Postecoglou's half-time changes (Bentancur for Johnson and Kulusevski for Son) seemed to be aimed at saving minutes in his senior players' legs rather than addressing the problem. In fairness, Bentancur ultimately had a fine second half, and Kulusevski was more and more involved in the latter stages. However, we first had to endure more pressure with Icardi off target and Kulusevksi getting booked for a foul on Osimhen.
Spurs escaped after Forster inexplicably dropped a free kick. One shot by Abdulkerim Bardacki was blocked and another cleared. After a corner from the right, Yunus Akgun's shot was goal-bound but headed wide by Dragusin. Osimhen headed over after another Mertens cross.
Will Lankshear's first booking came after he fouled Kaan Ayhan. Referee Lawrence Visser has issued 6 red cards over the last 6 months and perhaps the players should have been briefed about this man and warned.
Osimhen was guilty of over-playing when given another good chance to score. He tried to set up Icardi, but Spurs managed to clear. Things were getting desperate again for Spurs at the back. Baris Alper crossed from the right and Forster saved well from Osimhen, who subsequently headed over from another cross.
Lankshear and Kulusevski managed an attack down the right channel all the way to the opponents' area. Lankshear received a short pass, but his right-footed shot was comfortably held. Soon after the Spurs youngster was seeing a second yellow card for a foul on Sara, which perhaps was not essentially a bookable foul.
Miraculously, Spurs were only two goals down. Baris Alper had a shot parried by Forster. A follow-up was blocked and a shot after the corner by Yunus Akgun was well saved by the Spurs keeper.
Kulusevski advanced to the edge of the Galatasary area and was shoulder-barged by Abdulkerim Bardacki. Kulusevski needed treatment and the referee saw no foul. The challenge was arguably inside the box.
Lucas Bergvall was replaced by Solanke while Sarr replaced Maddison. Both subs were effective. It wasn't long before the ten men pulled a goal back. It was an excellent goal too. Kulusevski passed to Porro, who got to the bye-line and cut hit a low, powerful cross which Solanke converted with a clever flick (quite deliberately) with his back leg.
Truly, the ten played better than the eleven. The Galatasary aces were tiring, but Spurs still faced chances. Icardi fired over again and after Muslera cleared a long ball heading for Solanke, Yunus Akgun had the ball in the net, but again had clearly been offside. Akgun hit another shoot wide across the goal after Icardi's pass, but then needed treatment. He and Osimhen were replaced. Icardi went down after a collision with Forster (no foul). He was stretchered off.
Spurs were playing with more composure and structure. Muslera came well out of his area to clear a ball aimed at Solanke. Kulusevski saw a chance and tried aa shot from 40 yards, but that passed wide. Baris Alper tried a shot from distance, but that passed wide too.
To lose by one goal is a respectable score. It is possible that the two teams will meet in the knock-out phase, but for the moment, we should be glad we do not have to meet again in the rest of this eight-match schedule. Davinson Sanchez approached the travelling fans at the end of the game and was warmly applauded.
Galatasary ended the night in third place with 10 points. Spurs have dropped to seventh with 9 points. Roma are our next opponents at Tottenham on November 28th. They are in 20th place with five points.
Next up for Spurs are Ipswich on Sunday.
Europa League Placings (top 8 only)
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
Lazio 1 4 4 0 0 11-2 9 12
Ajax 2 4 3 1 0 13-1 12 10
Galatasaray 3 4 3 1 0 12-8 4 10
Frankfurt 4 4 3 1 0 8-4 4 10
Anderlecht 5 4 3 1 0 7-3 4 10
A. Bilbao 6 4 3 1 0 6-2 4 10
Spurs 7 4 3 0 1 8-4 4 9
FCSB 8 3 3 0 1 7-5 2 9
