SEVEN & HELL FOR SAD POCH
Ex-Gunner scores four in a Serge-and-destroy blitz
SPURS .............. 2 BAYERN .......... 7
SPURS shipped seven at home for the first time in a major competition – and an ex-Arsenal man was the master of doom.
Serge Gnabry buried four goals as Bayern Munich inflicted the club’s biggest European defeat.
Boos echoed around the stadium after Spurs were taken apart by a winger Tony Pulis rated not good enough for West Brom.
The 24-year-old, who had an ill-fated loan with the Baggies in 2015 that ended with then boss Pulis telling him he wasn’t up to the Premier League, twice ran from the halfway line in the second half to score.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “They were very clinical.
“After we scored the penalty for 4-2 we had chances to score the third.
“But from the 83rd and 88th minute we conceded three more goals. In football it can happen. Every single touch went in. We are very disappointed and upset but we have to stay together. We are strong in our mentality.”
Too many errors, too many wasted chances and the stadium felt horribly flat as Bayern took control.
Son Heung-Min found the far corner with a low shot 12 minutes in only for Joshua Kimmich’s 20-yard strike to level it up 194 seconds later. Robert Lewandowski’s quite magnificent shot on the turn sent the Germans in 2-1 up before the Gnabry show got under way.
His first came in 53 minutes as a darting run almost from the halfway line went unchecked and he cut inside before burying a low shot in the far corner.
Two minutes later Harry Winks was caught in possession and Corentin Tolisso fed Gnabry whose shot went in off a post.
Harry Kane provided a lifeline with a 60th-minute penalty after Kingsley Coman fouled Danny Rose but Bayern were simply too worldly-wise and strong to succumb to another.
In fact, Gnabry rubbed salt in the wounds with a brilliantly taken goal in 84 minutes for his treble.
Lewandowski cushioned No.6 three minutes from time with the defence in pieces then Gnabry struck from the edge of the box.
Against this sort of pedigree, last year’s losing finalists look a long way short of being part of the European elite again.