Tottenham 0 Lazio 0:FROM THE moment the Europa League draw was made, Tottenham Hotspur versus Lazio brought one person to mind: Paul Gascoigne, the midfield maestro and one-time clown prince of English football, who represented both clubs with flair and passion.
Gazza was invited to attend only to decline on personal grounds. He was remembered in song by both sets of supporters as a tight and technical affair failed to spark.
It was undermined in the second half when what sounded ominously like monkey taunts were directed by Lazio’s travelling support at Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend.
Tottenham were left to rue two decisions that ruled out what might have been the decisive goal.
In an even first half, the home debutant Clint Dempsey headed home from close range only to be flagged for offside, which felt extremely borderline while in the second, Steven Caulker’s header from Gareth Bale’s corner was called back for a climb on Stefano Mauri. Lazio rattled the woodwork through Alvaro Gonzalez’s volley but they went into their shells as the tie wore on.
The Rome club sit joint-top of Serie A but it was not only their threat that motivated Villas-Boas’s selection. The Portuguese has tremendous affection for the Europa League, which he won with Porto in 2011 and he was true to his pre-match promise to “embrace the competition as if it were the Champions League.” His selection was as strong as it would have been for a Premier League fixture.
Lazio’s pressing was of a high intensity and Tottenham faced a fight from the outset to impose their rhythm. Individual technique had to be spot on.
Mousa Dembele feinted and drove with the ball; his role under Villas-Boas offers the license to roam. Highly accomplished on the ball, dynamic and athletic, he is the identikit Villas-Boas player.
When Dembele and Gareth Bale combined to release Lennon midway through the half, the winger was cynically checked by Giuseppe Biava. The Lazio centre-half was booked. There were glimpses of goal in the first half. Lazio’s deep-lying midfielder Cristian Ledesma released Senad Lulic and the left-back’s low cross quickened hearts. Miroslav Klose hovered but the ball was just beyond him. Klose had several sightings at goal and he miskicked when he was teed up by Stefano Mauri but a moment to illuminate the evening was provided by Gonzalez on 41 minutes. He swooped onto Jan Vertonghen’s clearing header, which lacked distance, and unleashed a magnificent volley, which beat the debutant Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris only to rebound off the crossbar.
Tottenham’s big early chance came in the 18th minute. After Sandro won the ball in midfield, he sprang his team forward and Defoe played in Lennon who showed himself capable of getting in behind Lulic and, on this occasion, his delivery was true. Bale had space but he failed to muster zip on his header and Federico Marchetti had a routine tip-over.
There was also the flash of controversy when Bale’s cross ushered in Dempsey. The American’s diving header found the net but an offside flag denied him. He had looked level with the last man.
Villas-Boas has said he does not want to rush his changes, that he does not want this period of transition to be too troubling. But when there are so many new players in the team, it is inevitable they will lack instinctive understanding.
If Caulker and Kyle Naughton were included, players who spent last season away from Tottenham on loan, Villas Boas’s starting line-up here had six new faces.
Tottenham enjoyed clearer openings in the second half. Defoe again slipped Lennon clean through and, as dark shirts converged and he felt contact, there was the hint of a penalty. Lennon played on and in the ensuing scramble, Dempsey tried to force the ball home but Lazio survived.
TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Walker, Caulker, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Dembele (Mason 90), Lennon (Townsend 81), Dempsey (Sigurdsson 76), Bale, Defoe. Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Huddlestone, Gallas, Dawson.
LAZIO: Marchetti, Lulic, Dias, Biava, Cavanda, Ledesma, Onazi (Zarate 80), Gonzalez, Hernanes (Ciani 90), Mauri (Ederson 90), Klose. Subs Not Used: Bizzarri, Scaloni, Kozak, Floccari. Booked: Biava, Dias, Gonzalez, Mauri.
Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania).
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