Tottenham overcame the seventh-minute dismissal of Radu Dragusin to open their Europa League marketing campaign with a 3-0 win over Qarabag.
The kick-off was delayed by over 35 minutes attributable to visitors congestion with the Azerbaijan guests solely arriving on the stadium a quarter-of-an-hour earlier than the unique begin time.
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However it was Spurs who seemed sluggish early on, notably Dragusin who noticed pink for a tussle with Qarabag striker Juninho.
The hosts had been very good with 10 males, nonetheless, and Brennan Johnson put them 1-0 up 5 minutes after the pink card.
Pape Matar Sarr doubled Spurs’ benefit seven minutes into the second half and Qarabag’s possibilities of a comeback had been successfully ended when Toral Bayramov blazed a 58th-minute penalty over the bar.
Dominic Solanke accomplished an exquisite evening for Ange Postecoglou’s males after 68 minutes.
There have been loads of stand-out performances from the house aspect. Dragusin’s was not one among them.
A nightmare begin for Radu Drăgușin 😬
The Spurs defender is proven a pink card contained in the opening ten minutes 🟥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Sq475Axs7u
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) September 26, 2024
The Romania centre-half was caught flat-footed when receiving a again cross, permitting Juninho to get by on purpose and a careless problem from behind noticed referee Willy Delajod haven’t any possibility however to ship him off.
Lucas Bergvall was sacrificed by Postecoglou with Future Udogie approaching.
Johnson grabbed the fiftieth purpose of his senior profession to set the ten males on their method shortly afterwards. Solanke gained the ball in midfield earlier than setting the Wales worldwide by on purpose and he completed calmly.
Brennan Johnson’s high-quality kind continues 🤩
Simply moments after Radu Drăgușin is distributed off, Spurs take the lead!
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/T1RNbFX4gy
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) September 26, 2024
Johnson might have made it 2-0 after 27 minutes however shot into the side-netting after Qarabag goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski got here flying off his line.
Qarabag should have equalised earlier than the break. Elvin Cafarquliyev crossed from the left and Juninho in some way put his shot extensive when it appeared simpler to attain.
Spurs went 2-0 in entrance after 52 minutes when Sarr was available to volley dwelling on the far put up after Kochalski had flapped at substitute Dejan Kulusevski’s right-wing nook.
One other huge second for Qarabag got here and went six minutes later. Yves Bissouma felled Cafarquliyev contained in the field however Bayramov’s highly effective spot-kick hit the bar and flew over.
Toral Bayramov gained’t wish to watch this penalty miss again 🫣
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— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) September 26, 2024
Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario saved effectively to disclaim Abdellah Zoubir whereas, on the different finish, Solanke was denied by Kochalski.
Juninho hit the put up as Qarabag continued to threaten however their hopes had been lastly extinguished when the hapless Kochalski pushed Son Heung-min’s shot straight into the trail of Solanke and he made no mistake.
Vicario saved effectively from Yassine Benzia and Jafarquliyev whereas Qarabag’s evening was summed up when Juninho noticed a header chalked off for offside.
