Tottenham 1 PAOK Salonika 2:TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR forgot to perform in the first half and ended with a defeat that means they are no longer favourites to stay in the Europa League.
Their final match, on December 15th, is against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght. They must win, and rely on Rubin Kazan losing to Paok Salonika, with the results allowing a six-goal swing in goal difference between Spurs and the Russians.
If this does not happen, Harry Redknapp will at least have one less competition to drain his resources as he attempts to claim the real prize of returning to the Champions League.
Spurs suffered a nightmare start in two parts. After a slick move which involved Luka Modric and Danny Rose, they fell behind.
William Gallas lost possession in midfield and when Giorgos Georgiadis advanced down the left, Vedran Corluka allowed him space to flip over a cross that Dimitris Salpingidis headed home, unchallenged.
The raucous visiting fans had been drowning out the home support but this caused delirium in their ranks. Six minutes later, they threatened to go ballistic.
Once more Tottenham dawdled and once again Corluka was too easily beaten by Georgiadis. This time the delivery was on the floor and Stefanos Athanasiadis stretched out a leg for a tap-in.
All this occurred after Tottenham had walked out, surely, quietly confident of a smooth passage to the last 32. Spurs knew a win would mean that only a draw would be required in Dublin.
With this in his thoughts, Redknapp selected a strong team that included Modric, Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe.
As the half-hour approached, though, Redknapp had seen enough to send Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker to warm up.
Nine minutes from the break, Defoe’s shot was saved well by Kostas Chalkias, low to his right. Modric floated in the subsequent corner and after Corluka’s header was cleared legally by Kostas Stafylidis, off the line, when the ball came back at the left back from Harry Kane this time he was adjudged to have handled it.
The referee, Bas Nijhuis, awarded the penalty and sent off Stafylidis – the red card may have been harsh – and Modric stepped up to slot the spot-kick beyond Chalkias.
Spurs scored again after the break, but Gallas’ finish from Modric’s free-kick, swung over from the left, was ruled offside – correctly.
Tottenham couldn’t rescue the point, however, and their Europa League knockout ambitions now hang by a thread.
TOTTENHAM: Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Bassong, Rose (Bale 62), Lennon, Livermore, Modric, Pienaar (Walker 67), Defoe, Kane (Falque 71). Subs not used: Cudicini, Townsend, Fredericks, Carroll.
PAOK SALONIKA: Chalkias, Etto, Malezas, Contreras (Cirillo 81), Stafylidis, Lazar (Arias 83), Pablo Garcia, Fotakis, Salpingidis, Georgiadis (Sznaucner 62), Athanasiadis. Subs not used: Kresic, Balafas, Ivic, Papazoglou. Sent off: Stafylidis (39). Booked: Etto, Athanasiadis.
Referee: B Nijhuis (Holland).
