Gareth finally joins party
WOLFSBERGER 1 TOTTENHAM 4
SPURS PUT AUSTRIANS TO SWORD:
REPORTS of Gareth Bale’s footballing demise would appear premature.
The Spurs darling started here, made the first, scored a classy second and – subbed after 64 minutes – appeared to have played his way into a Premier League start at West Ham on Sunday.
“One of the reasons we took him off early was to try to have him ready for the next match,” said manager Jose Mourinho.
“We managed to save him a few miles in his legs. I know the match is on Sunday at 12pm but I believe he has a chance to play. So let’s wait.
“We have to trust these players and their knowledge of their bodies.”
Bale’s display was quite the riposte for those questioning his footballing appetite.
Carp if you want about the opposition. In fact, I will do it for you.Wolfsberger are the lowest-ranked team left in the Europa League and sit sixth in the Austrian league.
We’ve seen, however, just how often English teams have slipped up against so-called no-hopers.
So Spurs deserve credit for putting them to the sword. Bale in particular. Showing glimpses of that old magic during the first 45 minutes, he ate Wolfsberger UPWARDLY MOBILE:
Moura after his excellent solo effort alive.Thirteen minutes in, Lucas Moura drifted in from the left and played a square ball to Matt Doherty. He slipped in Bale down the right and the Welshman’s low cross enabled Son HeungMin – starting up front with Harry Kane rested – to head home.
Then came Bale’s turn to take centre stage. Moving towards the right byline, he checked back to leave left-back Jonathan Scherzer on his backside before guiding the ball home.
Moura’s goal, five minutes later, was even better. Like a skier weaving between flags, the Brazilian ghosted past Wolfsberger players on a 40-yard run down the left. Once in the box his finish was emphatic.
Spurs still cannot keep clean sheets though.Ten minutes after the break Moussa Sissoko brought down Christopher Wernitznig in the box for Michael Liendl to net a penalty.
Wernitznig then saw his strike from inside the box hit the bar. Sub CarlosVinicius finished the job, two minutes from time, to ease nerves. But the night belonged to Bale.
WOLFSBERGER (4-1-3-2): Kofler 5; Novak 4 (Pavelic 81), Baumgartner 4, Lochoshvili 4, Scherzer 4; Sprangler 5 (Giorbelidze, 65, 5); Tafarner 4 (Henriksson 46, 5), Liendl 4, Wernitznig 6; Joveljic 5 (Dieng 46, 5), Vizinger 4 (Stratznig 46, 5).
Goal: Liendl 55 pen.
SPURS (4-2-3-1):
Lloris 6; Doherty 6, Dier 7, Alderweireld, 7 Davies 7; Sissoko 6 (Hojberg 78), Winks 7; Bale 9 (Lamela 64, 7), Alli 7 (Ndombele 78), Moura 8 (Bergwijn 65, 7); Son 8 (Vinicius 46, 8). Goals: Heung-Min 13, Bale 28, Moura 33, Vinicius 88.