Spurs’ biggest victory
DOUBLES: KANE, SON HIT BRACES AS TOTTENHAM HAMMER RED STAR 5-0
London
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min both struck twice as Tottenham Hotspur rekindled their Champions League hopes with a 5-0 thrashing of Red Star Belgrade last night.
After suffering their heaviest home defeat in Europe on matchday two, a 7-2 hammering by Bayern Munich, they bounced back to claim their biggest win in the Champions League.
Red Star arrived in second place in Group B behind Bayern Munich while Tottenham were desperate to kickstart their European campaign after taking only one point from two games.
Once Kane headed in Erik Lamela’s corner after nine minutes and Son’s half-volley, also from a Lamela assist, made it 2-0 after 16 minutes the gloom of a troubling start to the season for Mauricio Pochettino’s team on all fronts began to lift.
Red Star responded well to the early setbacks but Son’s second just before halftime made the result a formality.
The excellent Lamela, making his 200th appearance, turned well to curl in a fourth in the 57th minute and Kane’s exquisite finish in the 72nd minute took his Champions League tally to 18 goals in 22 appearances.
Victory put Spurs into second spot with four points, five behind runaway leaders Bayern and one clear of Red Star.
Meanwhile, in one other game last night, Atletico Madrid substitute Alvaro Morata scored a late second half header to give his team a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and send them top of their Champions League Group D.
In a game of few chances and many mistakes, neither team came close to breaking the deadlock before Morata scored with a powerful downward header from a Renan Lodi cross in the 78th minute, giving his team a major boost for a top two finish and a spot in the knockout stages.
The Spaniards, unbeaten now in three group games, are on seven points. The Germans, without a point, are in last place and all but eliminated in the run for a spot in the last 16.
Atletico, who have now failed to score during the first half in their last six Champions League matches, lacked spark and intensity in the first half.
The visitors gradually started finding pockets of space with Kevin Volland and Kerem Demirbay but they also were missing the final pass.
Lodi completed a quickfire move with a fine first touch and shot to test Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky in a rare Atletico attack in the first half. – Reuters