SPURS NEED A NEW SAN SIRO HERO
Inter legends Maicon & Zanetti reveal how Bale tore them apart to announce Tottenham on the biggest stage... how Poch could do with another match-winner tomorrow
HOW Tottenham need someone to become a hero against the team from the San Siro – just as Gareth Bale did eight years ago.
Spurs start their Champions League campaign on the back foot against Inter Milan tomorrow night, after back-to-back league defeats against Watford and Liverpool. And former star Bale’s exploits against the Italians in 2010 should provide all the inspiration for Mauricio Pochettino’s class of 2018, as they bid to kickstart their season.
The two sides meet in the Champions League for the first time since that unforgettable doubleheader, when Bale exploded on to the world stage.
Although 10-man Spurs lost the opening meeting in the San Siro, Bale announced himself with a stunning second-half hat-trick to reduce a 4-0 half-time deficit to a 4-3 final score.
He was arguably even better in the return fixture, as the Welsh whirlwind blew Inter away again to inspire Spurs to a thrilling 3-1 win at White Hart Lane. Bale’s heroics were no mean feat, coming against not only the then Champions League holders but also Maicon, the best right-back in the world.
The Brazilian, whose status was underlined when he was named the 2009/10 UEFA club defender of the year and nominated for the Ballon d’Or, recalled: “They were extraordinary games against Bale, Luka Modric and William Gallas.
“Our first home match we dominated in the first half, even if Bale proved to be a very talented player, scoring three goals in the second half.
“The second was 3-1 in London for Tottenham. The English team played well. At that time, there were very few players that managed to make it difficult for us, especially in my area of the pitch.
“Bale perhaps showed for the first time on an important stage his qualities and we had a loss of concentration.
“After the first game we were only trying to work out what had caused that ‘blackout’. I don’t remember exactly. Certainly, we were surprised.
“Bale really played very well, (in terms of my toughest opponents) he is in one of the top positions, but the rest of the squad did play well too.”
The devastating pace,
power and end product with which he stunned Inter have now become the norm for Bale, who joined Real Madrid for a then-world-record £85million in 2013, going on to win four Champions Leagues and captain his country.
Inter legend and now vice president Javier Zanetti, who also played in both games in 2010, said: “Bale is a player who has both great pace and quality.
“He has a great shot – he’s devastating when you give him space. He was destined to end up at a big club and show just how good he is.”
Just like Bale, everyone knows about the threat Spurs can pose in Europe’s biggest competition now.
Those previous ties against Inter came in their first-ever Champions League season.
This campaign will be their third in a row and Spurs came of age last year, topping a group containing Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, before losing to Juventus in the last-16.
Zanetti said: “Even though they didn’t have a lot of experience in this competition back then, they’ve always been a much-respected opposition.
“They’ve been very consistent over recent years, constantly battling it out at the top end of the table.
“English sides always believe, right until the final moment, so you need to be absolutely focused. They’re now a dangerous team.”
Inter will be too, despite a disappointing start to the season, which continued with a shock 1-0 home defeat to newlypromoted Parma on Saturday.
Inter’s current form is unlikely to continue, after overhauling their squad during the summer, to bring in the likes of Radja Nainggolan, Argentine strike prospect Lautaro Martinez, loan duo Keita Balde and Sime Vrsaljko, plus freebies Stefan de Vrij and Kwadwo Asamoah from Serie A rivals Lazio and Juventus.
Maicon (chasing Bale, left) added: “Inter are back in Europe. It is a difficult round, but the club have bought very important players.
“They can do well, but we know the Champions League is a difficult competition.”