Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HIGH AND MIGHTY
Kane rises to the occasion for his 200th goal in just 300 games as Spurs ease past Bulgarians
GOAL-MACHINE Harry Kane showed just how dangerous he really is with his 200th strike for Tottenham.
Jo se Mourinho had to defend him in the build-up to this match after he had been accused of dangerous play by TV pundits and online critics for the way he won a penalty in Sunday ’s 2-1 win over Brighton.
But the Ludogorets goal was the only thing i n danger here in Bulgaria as Kane (left) became just the third Spurs player to hit a double centur y, after Jimmy Greaves, with 266,
and Bobby Smith, with 208. Kane has hit that milestone in only 300 games for the club – quicker than Thierry Henry managed to achieve the same feat for Arsenal or Wayne Rooney for Manchester United.
He also laid on another for Lucas Moura in this
Europa League Group J clash, before being taken off at half-time to rest up ahead of Sunday’s trip to
West Brom.
And, even though Claudiu
Ke s e r u p u l l e d o n e b a c k for Ludogorets, Giovani Lo Celso hit a third to settle it for Tottenham, who have tasted defeat only once in 13 games now.
Razgrad, where Ludogorets are based, is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman town. But it was Kane who had the appetite for destruction in this contest.
Spurs manager Mourinho (below) made six changes in all from the team that beat the Seagulls, but he could not leave out the Tottenham striker. When you want to avoid being embarrassed – as Spurs were against Royal Antwerp a week ago – you have to play Kane.
But it started with the England skipper missing a real sitter, as Harry Winks rounded off a slick passing move with an inch-perfect lob. Kane, clean through on goal, could
only volley way over the crossbar before holding his head in his hands.
Captain for the night, the striker hit the post from 25 yards shortly afterwards before Gareth Bale forced a save from keeper Plamen Iliev with a free-kick.
But Spurs did not have to wait long for the opener and when it came, it was inevitably Kane who snatched it in the 13th minute with a header from a Moura corner.
The pair then reversed roles in the 32nd minute, with Kane turning provider for Moura after a good pass from Bale to tap in at the far post.
With Spurs’ main threat taken off at the break, the Bulgarians managed to pull a goal back five minutes into the second half. Keseru pounced on a shot from Ghana striker Bernard Tekpetey, which deflected off Winks, and the Romania international beat keeper Joe Hart.
But, just in case anyone thought it was game on, two of Mourinho’s subs created a third, this time for Lo Celso.
Pierre-emile Hojbjerg is usually more of a destroyer, but he turned creator to free Heung-min Son and it was his pass back across goal that laid on a simple finish for Lo Celso.
Hart did have some saves to make, but was ne ver truly tested as Tottenham saw the game out.
And, with a bit more composure from substitutes Steven Bergwijn and Carlos Vinicius, they could even have added to the scoreline.
But it was job done by the end.