Mauricio Pochettino’s side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan in their Champions League opener on matchday one. Tottenham Hotspur were without the services of some of their key players as Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Dele Alli missed out on the trip to San Siro.
Harry Kane had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the first half but both teams failed to break the deadlock. However, Christian Eriksen’s deflected goal in the 53rd minute gave Spurs the lead.
Inter pressed for an equalizer with a couple of substitutions but Spurs looked quite relaxed at the back and few would have expected such a dramatic turnaround. Mauro Icardi’s strike from Kwadwo Asamoah’s cross found the back of the net in the 86th minute before Matias Vecino headed it in from close range in the 92nd minute to put Inter in the driver’s seat.
There was virtually no time for Spurs to equalize and Luciano Spalletti’s side came away with three valuable points. This defeat could be detrimental to the Londoners’ chances of progressing to the knockout rounds, given that they have been drawn along with Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven.
Michel Vorm (6/10)
The veteran Dutchman did not have too much to do and was hardly at fault for Inter’s goals. He made a good stop in the first half to prevent an own goal.
Ben Davies (6/10)
He played as a flying left-back and showed commendable work rate. The Englishman did the basics right, barring a few slip-ups, and surged forward without much success.
Davinson Sanchez (5.5/10)
The Colombian made some solid tackles but wasn’t good enough with his positioning. He was partly at fault for Vecino’s headed goal.
Jan Vertonghen (6/10)
The Belgian looked sloppy in the first half as he attempted to play the ball from the back. Looked uncomfortable when pressurized by the attackers and could have been tighter with his marking to prevent the goals.
Serge Aurier (6.5/10)
The Ivorian almost played as a right wing-back and tried to make things happen with some energetic runs in the opposition’s half. However, he was caught out of position a couple of times by Ivan Perisic.
Mousa Dembele (6.5/10)
The Belgian put up a somewhat improved performance when compared to the game against Liverpool. Made some crunching challenges and played effectively as a shield for the rearguard. However, his influence faded to an extent in the second half.
Eric Dier (6/10)
The English international played as a sweeper for the backline on the right side of the central midfield. However, he often shifted to the right-back position when Aurier made offensive runs. He didn’t do anything wrong but he didn’t make a significant impact.
Heung-min Son (6.5/10)
The Korean played on the left side of the forward line and tried to link play with Ben Davies and Christian Eriksen. He looked pretty impressive with his work rate but lacked quality in his final ball.
Christian Eriksen (7.5/10)
Tottenham’s standout performer of the night, the Danish playmaker tested Handanovic from a free-kick in the first half and scored the opening goal after the break. He saw more of the ball in the second half and spiced up things with his creativity in the attacking third.
Erik Lamela (6/10)
He simply did not look fit enough. Tried to make an impact with some clever runs but his shooting wasn’t up to the mark. Furthermore, he was guilty of holding on to the ball needlessly and squandering possession.
Harry Kane (6.5/10)
The Englishman had a chance to get on the scoresheet in the first half but couldn’t apply the finishing touch. Worked hard and dropped deeper at times to support the midfield and the defence.
Lucas Moura (6.5/10)
The Brazilian came on for Son after the hour mark and showed exactly why he has been Tottenham’s best player of the season so far. Looked menacing going forward, troubled the defenders with his pace and dribbles and was a lively presence in the final third.
Harry Winks (N/A)
Came on for Lamela but did not have enough time to make an impact
Danny Rose (N/A)
He came on quite late in place of Harry Kane to fill the minutes.
