Tottenham Hotspur Fall 4-1 at Inter but Slip into Europa League Quarterfinals
The aim was not, Andre Villas-Boas had insisted beforehand, to “prove anything,” but rather, to complete the job Spurs had started so admirably last week. Fair enough then. Tottenham Hotspur lost 4-1 to Inter on Thursday in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie. But as 4-1 defeats go, this one was as productive as they come.
After beating the same team 3-0 last week at White Hart Lane, Spurs sputtered to a 3-0 reverse at full-time in the San Siro. The tie then ended 4-4 on aggregate, as both teams scored in extra time. But thanks to Emmanuel Adebayor’s extra-time strike, Spurs slipped through to the quarterfinals on away goals despite being outplayed for 120 minutes without their biggest star.
Speaking of which, while AVB might have denied the suggestion that Tottenham had anything to prove Thursday, his team did so anyway. Put simply, the critics have a point when they question Tottenham’s credentials without the talismanic presence of Gareth Bale.
The 23-year-old Welsh midfielder, who has shot to global acclaim in recent weeks for a string of strong performances, sat out Thursday’s match after receiving a yellow card for simulation in the first leg. Granted, his presence wouldn’t necessarily have stopped Inter from scoring four times, but with each passing game, it becomes more clear that his influence extends in and out and all throughout the squad.
Without him, Spurs nearly suffered a historic collapse. No team had lost a knockout tie in the Europa League era after winning the first leg by three goals. For all their domination last week in London, Spurs were outclassed in Italy.
For 120 minutes, this second leg had defied belief. And because of it, the self-belief Villas-Boas had so confidently proclaimed in the absence of his star seemed at best misplaced.
Total Football 
Nice write up, it was a great game!