Spurs suffer first Europa League defeat of the season
Galatasaray 3 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Victor Osimhen struck twice as Galatasaray handed 10-man Tottenham their first Europa League defeat of the season in Istanbul.
Teenage forward Will Lankshear, who had earlier celebrated his maiden senior goal in just his second start for Spurs, was shown a second yellow card and dismissed on the hour mark. By then, Tottenham had already squandered several opportunities, leaving the final scoreline flattering them somewhat, given the hosts' dominant display.
Despite the setback, Ange Postecoglou’s side remain well-positioned to progress from the group stage, sitting on nine points from four games, although Galatasaray have now overtaken them in the standings.
A closer look at what happened
Tottenham’s shaky attempts to play out from the back, coupled with some chaotic defending, made for a difficult evening in a notoriously intimidating atmosphere. The tone was set by Yunus Akgun's sublime sixth-minute strike, a left-footed volley from 20 yards that sailed past goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
While 19-year-old Lankshear pulled Spurs level from close range after a pass from Brennan Johnson, Tottenham’s tendency to give away possession and chances will raise questions about Postecoglou’s decision to start six regulars on the bench.
Centre-back Radu Dragusin’s error led to Osimhen’s first goal, as the Napoli loanee latched onto a Dries Mertens pass, slotting past Forster with a composed right-foot finish into the bottom right corner. Osimhen's second came from another pinpoint cross from Mertens, allowing the unmarked Nigerian to finish clinically from eight yards.
Though substitute Dominic Solanke tapped in a pass from Pedro Porro to give the scoreline a hint of respectability just nine minutes after Lankshear’s dismissal, Spurs were comprehensively outplayed. Only some wasteful finishing and a string of fine saves from Forster kept Okan Buruk's side from securing the emphatic win they deserved.
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What are the Spurs fans saying?
I caught up with another Tottenham fan who made the trip to Turkey for this match. He told me: "Even with the loss, we are still well-placed in the Europa League. The fringe players who turned out for us gained some valuable experience at a difficult place to visit. Going forward, they’ll learn how to keep the ball better."
David, another Spurs fan, added: "Tough fixture, but we were masters of our own downfall due to Ange's insistence on playing out from the back no matter what. We could not cope with their intense high press and lost possession constantly. Why not play a ball over the top sometimes with the pace we have and our new target man? We are a one-trick pony. The manager needs to learn a lesson from that or we're never going to win anything."
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