Inter Milan overcome Tottenham on Gareth Bale's evening
Inter Milan defeated visitors Tottenham the meeting between the two top teams in Group A of the Champions League on Wednesday, 20 October, winning 4–3 at the San Siro.
Tottenham had three attempts on target, all three of which were scored by Gareth Bale, but two strikes from Samuel Eto'o and one each from Dejan Stankovic and Javier Zanetti earned Rafael Benitez's team
the victory in a splendid game of football.
"He's as good a left-sided player as there is anywhere; there won't be too many in the world better than him at the moment," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said of Bale, adding that the defeat wasn't all
bad news for the English side. "We proved in the second half that you can attack them and score goals—we've got to be positive."
Inter get three quick goals
The Italians got a perfect start to the game when Zanetti made a run down the left channel and, fed by Eto'o, hit his shot high into the far corner beyond Heurelho Gomes with only two minutes gone.
Spurs' Brazilian keeper got his team in more trouble six minutes later, when he fouled Jonathan Biabiany, who had been released into the box by Wesley Sneijder. With Carlo Cudicini having replaced the
dismissed Gomes, Eto'o hit the penalty resolutely into the left corner.
Inter's passing game exposed Redknapp's team again in the 14th minute, when Stankovic combined with Eto'o on the edge of the area before finding the left corner with a low shot. The Spurs defense was ball-watching.
After 35 minutes, Eto'o added his second after being played through by Philippe Coutinho. His finish deflected off Cudicini and into the Spurs goal to leave the team 4–0 down at half-time.
Bale responsible for Spurs' fight-back
Bale began Spurs' ultimately futile comeback in the 52nd minute, as the Welshman skipped past two Inter players by the halfway line before racing into the penalty area and hitting a thunderous strike into
the left corner.
In stoppage time, Bale added another, once again from the left side of the penalty area, after skipping past Zanetti with ease and firing low into the far corner.
Moments later, Aaron Lennon picked the sublime Bale out on the edge of the box for the 21-year-old to score his fourth European goal for the club, but it was too late for Spurs to salvage any points.
The victory leaves Inter at the top of the group with seven points from three games, while Spurs are still in second place. The two remaining teams, Werder Bremen and FC Twente, failed to go level on points
with Spurs after drawing 1–1 on Wednesday.
Tags: