‘Amazing’ Alli helps Spurs storm into Europa last 16
Jose Mourinho saluted Dele Alli after the Tottenham midfielder ensured his side can still save their troubled season with a virtuoso display in Wednesday’s 4-0 rout of Austrian minnows Wolfsburg in the Europa League last 32 second leg.
Alli scored a brilliant opener early in the first half and provided the assist when Carlos Vinicius doubled their lead after the break.
Gareth Bale netted from another Alli assist before Vinicius bagged his second as Tottenham ran out 8-1 aggregate winners after cruising to a 4-1 victory in the first leg last week.
While progress to the last 16 looked a formality after the comfortable first leg success, nothing has come easy for Tottenham this term.
So Mourinho will have breathed a sigh of relief that his team kept alive their best remaining hope of qualifying for the Champions League.
Close to leaving in the January transfer window, Alli played the key role in a rare start after being frozen out by Mourinho for much of the season.
“The goal I don’t need to speak, because everyone watched it and I believe that all around the world on all these sports TV, people are going to watch it, no need to talk about it,” Mourinho said.
“But for me the globality of the performance is what matters. He played very well in every aspect of the game.”
A dismal run of six defeats in their last eight games in all competitions had seen Tottenham plunge to ninth place in the Premier League and crash out of the FA Cup.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss is likely to face the sack unless Tottenham can salvage their woeful campaign by reaching the Champions League.
Realistically that means winning the Europa League and Tottenham remain on course, even if much sterner tests lie in wait in the later rounds.
Alli put Tottenham ahead after just 10 minutes in eye-catching style.
When a loose ball fell to him 15 yards out and with his back to goal, Alli sent a superb bicycle kick looping into the far corner.
Vinicius benefitted from Alli’s excellence five minutes after half-time when the on-loan Benfica striker met the midfielder’s precise cross with a clinical far post header.
Bale came off the bench to fire into the top corner after another Alli assist in the 73rd minute.
Ten minutes later, teenager Dane Scarlett stole possession and teed up Vinicius to score from 12 yards.
RESULT Last 32, second leg
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 4 (Alli 10, Alves Morais 50, 83, Bale 73) Wolfsburg (AUT) 0
Tottenham win 8-1 on aggregate