Benitez Bests Bale's Bravado

Inter Milan 4 Tottenham Hotspur 3

Despite his players’ disastrous first half display, Harry Redknapp can be proud of Tottenham tonight who restored some respectability to the score line in the second forty-five pulling three goals back. Gareth Bale’s hat trick turned a demolition at the hands of the reigning European champions into a narrow defeat. The match as a spectacle was pretty much ruined by the dismissal of the Londoners’ keeper Heurelho Gomes after seven minutes for a foul on young French winger Jonathan Bianiaby, resulting in a successful spot kick from Samuel Eto’o that saw Inter 2-0 up with little more than ten minutes played.

The evergreen Javier Zanetti, captain of the Nerazzurri, took the opening goal superbly. With just sixty-eight seconds on the clock, the thirty-seven year old Argentine finished superbly from an Eto’o through ball putting it past Gomes. What remarkable confidence for a player who last found the net in February 2008! This early goal shocked the Spurs players and this was compounded by the sending off and converted penalty. Poor defending by the ten men was subsequently punished. An error by William Gallas was pounced upon by Serbian national captain Dejan Stankovic who placed the ball beyond substitute stopper Carlo Cudicini; this at the end of a thirty-four pass move and not even a quarter of an hour gone.

Poor positioning by Sebastien Bassong allowed Philippe Coutinho to play in Eto’o o to add his second of the night to the scoresheet. Redknapp was faced with what must have been one of the most difficult half time team talks of his long managerial career. At least his swashbuckling left back turned left winger responded with another outstanding performance that for me has firmly put the Welshman in the shop window for Europe’s top clubs. Inter eased off a little after the break, convinced the job was done. Bale had other ideas, but ultimately it was too little too late to deny Rafael Benitez’s side three points. The gossip columns links to the continent’s elite sides may now carry something with regards to the former Southampton player.

I have said before the fixtures against the current holders of the Champions League will not make or break Tottenham’s own European campaign. Despite being a man down tonight, they acquitted themselves well and the goal difference has not taken a massive hit. Redknapp’s men still sit second in Group A and a home win against Bremen and an away victory in Holland against FC Twente will almost certainly be enough to see them progress to the knockout stages at the first time of asking. One thing’s for certain the ride Spurs are taking us on is full of excitement!