Champions League: Tottenham v Inter Milan full time report
Tottenham 3 Inter Milan 1
Another virtuoso performance from Gareth Bale inspired Tottenham Hotspur to a famous victory over European champions Inter Milan at White Hart Lane.
Rafael van der Vaart lashed his side in front in the first half after latching onto a Luka Modrić pass, before Peter Crouch wasted a glorious chance to double the lead when he fired Bale’s cross wide.
The brilliant Bale found Crouch again shortly after the hour mark, and this time the big forward made no mistake to double the lead.
Samuel Eto’o smashed home an angled effort to give Inter hope, before Bale again burst down the left and saw his low ball in turned home by substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko.
It was quite a night for Spurs and Bale, and the Londoners will now qualify for the last 16 if they beat Werder Bremen in their next match.
This had been the fixture that Tottenham fans had been looking forward to ever since the draw for the group stages was made, and the events at the San Siro when these sides met two weeks ago – where Bale scored a hat-trick as a 10-man Spurs came from 4-0 down to lose 4-3 – had only whetted the appetite even further. It was a raucous atmosphere at White Hart Lane.
And it was Spurs who started the better in it, with a succession of crosses raining into the Inter penalty area, but it wasn’t long before Rafael Benitez’s European champions showed their quality, with the electric Eto’o lashing an effort into the side netting from distance.
Both clubs were fielding veteran second-choice Italian goalkeepers instead of their younger first-choice Brazilians, with Carlo Cudicini replacing the suspended Heurelho Gomes for Spurs, and 35-year-old Luca Castellazzi taking the place of the injured Julio César for Inter. Castellazzi held on to an early Modrić shot and later a fierce Bale cross. There was nothing he could do moments later though.
Modrić approached the edge of the penalty area, and after neither Javier Zanetti nor Sulley Muntari did enough to close him down, the Croatian played a terrific reverse pass for van der Vaart to run onto, before the Dutchman coolly slipped a shot past the goalkeeper with his left foot. He had been level with the last defender, and had just scored his sixth goal in five White Hart Lane appearances.
The superb Bale was having a fantastic time against the stunned Maicon down the Spurs left, and one rapid dash and cross from Welshman was volleyed wide by Crouch, who seemed certain to score. The England international – who played against Inter for Benitez’s Liverpool in the Champions League in 2008 – could well have opted to tee up van der Vaart instead of dragging his effort wide.
Inter were second best, but their threat was still apparent, and marauding defender Lucio was soon shooting wide, but that was only brief respite from Bale – who struck a right foot shot over after cutting inside.
Two Dutchman were soon exchanging free kicks, as van der Vaart’s effort was deflected over before Wesley Sneijder’s terrific shot was pushed away by Cudicini shortly before the break.
Van der Vaart didn’t emerge for the second period after aggravating a hamstring injury, and he was replaced by Jermaine Jenas as Spurs sought to protect their lead, or even increase it. Bale was inches away from scoring an inspired goal as his hooked effort landed marginally wide following Castellazzi’s punch from a free kick, before Crouch’s header was tipped over.
Seeking energy from his team, Benitez surprisingly brought on 19-year-old Obiora Nwankwo for a debut in place of the injured Sulley Muntari, but not even his fresh legs could keep up with the blistering Bale just after the hour mark.
There was simply nothing that Inter could do. Bale burst down the left flank, and with no defenders able to keep up with him, the Welshman sent over a low cross that was simply begging Crouch to put it into the net. This time he obliged, and Spurs had breathing space.
The same pair combined again moments later, but Bale had just ran the ball out of play before Crouch put it in. A dizzy Maicon looked relieved.
Benitez turned to last season’s Final hero Diego Milito in the search of an Inter goal, but it was the excellent Eto’o who soon provided it, cutting inside Alan Hutton and bending a powerful shot around William Gallas and into the bottom corner. There were still 10 minutes on the clock, and Spurs were suddenly nervous.
Inter pressed, and with their players pushing forward, Bale knew what that meant.
As an Inter break was foiled, off went the Welshman, tearing down the left flank before pulling the ball back for an unmarked Pavlyuchenko to sidefoot home the clinching goal.
There was still time for Inter to hit the bar through Milito, but this was Tottenham’s night, Bale’s night and a night that really announced both Spurs and their brilliant winger on the European stage.
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