Inter Milan Match Thread

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Thursday 07th March 2013.
Kick Off @ 20:05hrs GMT.

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe believes the current Spurs squad is the best he has been involved with.

The 30-year-old who is set to start Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg tie with Inter Milan, has spent seven years in two spells at the club.

Defoe, who has played alongside Dimitar Berbatov, Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric during that time, praised manager Andre Villas-Boas's side.

"I think it probably is the best since I have been here," he said.

"We have that winning mentality in training - it is just a good time to be here."

Defoe has scored 14 goals from 33 appearances this season and is well on course to beat his 2011-12 total of 17. However, he has not found the back of the net in the last seven matches he has played.

The England international says the quality of the players around him has made it easier for him to score the goals that have helped Tottenham embark on a run that has seen them lose just once since 9 December in all competitions.

He added: "As a player I have always said when you are playing with good players it makes it easier.

"Especially as a forward, you know you are going to get chances in a game to score."

Gareth Bale has been Defoe's team-mate throughout the former Portsmouth striker's second spell at Tottenham, but is undoubtedly enjoying his best season to date, having scored 16 goals - his highest return as a professional.

He could be key to Tottenham's chances of victory against Inter - the team he scored a hat-trick against in a Champions League match between the two in 2010.

Defoe added: "He has realised that he is a good finisher - in fact he is a great finisher with a great left foot. When things aren't going well in a game he can just take the ball, beat two players and score.

"He is a great player and what he has done over the past couple of months has been unbelievable."

Tottenham look set to be without Emmanuel Adebayor, with the striker having suffered a knee injury during Sunday's north London derby win over Arsenal.

Mousa Dembele also took a knock in that much but trained on Wednesday and is fit to face Inter.

Younes Kaboul, Sandro and Tom Huddlestone (all knee) and Clint Dempsey (calf) are unavailable.

The Serie A side have a number of injury problems to contend with as top-scorer Diego Milito (knee) is out for the season, while centre-backs Andrea Ranocchia (knee) and Walter Samuel (Achilles) are sidelined.

cant wait for the game tonight.

brad
walker dawson caulker ekotto

lennon dembele jake stigerson
bale defoe

i would def bring on holtby later but for either lennon or bale if we are leading

team news in.
brad
walker galas verts ekotto
lennon parker dembele stigerson
bale defoe

just found out parkers a spurs fan. thought he was an arsenal fan and he said when he was at west ham he would never joins us.

makes it even more strange how he turned us down twice b3fore

1931:
LINE-UPS - Tottenham v Inter Milan (2005 GMT)

Tottenham: Friedel, Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Dembele, Lennon, Sigurdsson, Bale, Defoe. Subs: Lloris, Naughton, Dawson, Holtby, Livermore, Caulker, Carroll.

Inter Milan: Handanovic, Zanetti, Ranocchia, Chivu, Juan, Gargano, Cambiasso, Alvarez, Kovacic, Pereira, Cassano. Subs: Belec, Palacio, Guarin, Benassi, Pasa, Mbaye, Jonathan.

Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

defoe 13 games 1 goal lol apart from that this was a great performace. stand outs for brad parker walker lennon verts galas.

no ratings tonight because they was all brillant.

really inpressed with avb again using the sqaud.

stigerson link up play is awesome

Loughtonlegend wrote:defoe 13 games 1 goal lol apart from that this was a great performace. stand outs for brad parker walker lennon verts galas.

no ratings tonight because they was all brillant.

really inpressed with avb again using the sqaud.

stigerson link up play is awesome

Defoe put more effort in 10 minutes than Ade has in 5 games and had more attempts, he was rusty and still looked more likely to score than Ade.

The football in the first half was the best we have played all season and as good as the fast, slick free flowing play we showed the first half of last season which many said was the best the prem had ever seen. The difference this time was the fire and determination every player showed. In the few times the ball was lost it was won back straight away.

Every player was magnificent but Lennon and Parker were outstanding tonight.

The only surprise to me was AVB didn't take of Lennon and Bale for the last 20 minutes when the game was won. Especially as we have a massive game on Sunday against the Pool. In the end Lennon was taken off injured and I just hope he makes Sunday.






Well done lads COYS!!!

Mikey M

i thought the same. first half was perfect. best we played this season.

i also thought parker was man of the match and lennon work rate was amazing.

i know defoe desprete to get a goal but a few times he should of passed then we could of killed the tie.
but he played well first half.

i do think stiggerson offers more then dempesey and holtby looked lost when he came on.

im glad bale got booked he gets a nice rest now.

(This is a great photo)

Gareth Bale maintained his superb scoring form to put Tottenham in control of their Europa League last-16 tie against Inter Milan.

Bale glanced in a header from Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross early on but will miss the second leg after his fourth caution of the season for diving.

Sigurdsson turned in from close range after Jermain Defoe's shot was saved.

Jan Vertonghen headed in a third from Bale's corner in the second half to give Spurs a comfortable advantage.

While manager Andre Villas-Boas will be pleased to see Bale continuing his impressive run with his 21st of the campaign, there were plenty of other positive signs from a dominant performance that led to a sixth win in seven matches.

Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson was a constant threat on the left flank and, making his first start after a month out with an ankle problem, Defoe looked sharp in attack.

A 50th Tottenham goal, and an 11th in nine games for club and country, mean that Welshman Bale will never be short of plaudits.

But Tottenham will be without the winger, who scored three goals in a blistering performance in Spurs' 4-3 defeat in the San Siro in 2010, when they head to Italy next week, having been cautioned by Spanish referee Antonio Lahoz after going down under a Walter Gargano challenge in the area.

At least the positives continue to vastly outweigh the negatives and after an intense opening from the hosts, Bale guided a header into the corner from a Sigurdsson ball from the left.

Inter were struggling to get out of their own half and after 17 minutes they were two behind.

A neat passing move from Spurs worked space for Aaron Lennon to pull back for Defoe, whose shot was blocked by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic only for Sigurdsson to touch in.

Sigurdsson crossed for Vertonghen to have a looping header tipped over before another ball from the left saw Bale head wide.

Inter had chance to reduce the arrears just before the interval but Ricardo Alvarez clipped wide after being sent clear by Antonio Cassano.

And they were soon made to pay after the break.

Vertonghen should have turned in from a Bale free-kick, but the Belgian made no mistake when he met Bale's corner unmarked to head in.

Bale just missed after a typical surge forward before Handonovic turned around the post from Defoe.

Lennon was also denied a fourth when he put the ball through Christian Chivu's legs only to be blocked by Handanovic.

Tottenham's goalkeeper Brad Friedel was alert enough to to race out to deny Rodrigo Palacio after a quick free-kick from Esteban Cambiasso and Spurs head to Italy in a strong position.

I would deffo rest some players, keep them on the bench just in case,
need to get back on track against Fulham on Sunday

Friedel
Naughton Gallas Caulker Benny (still not match fit)

Livermore Hudd Carroll Holtby
Ade
Defoe

djfitzo wrote:I would deffo rest some players, keep them on the bench just in case,
need to get back on track against Fulham on Sunday

Friedel
Naughton Gallas Caulker Benny (still not match fit)

Livermore Hudd Carroll Holtby
Ade
Defoe

According to Physio room Dempsey should be fit, he often comes up with important goals, one goal from us at there will win this tie.

use dempsey for the bench.

caulker needs a game so does hudd.

if lennon is fit i wouldnt start him.

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Thursday 14th March 2013
Kick Off @ 1800hrs GMT

COYS!! Its gonna be all about our defence for this game! Inter will obviously go for it, they've got nothing to lose. But, even without Bale, we could score a goal or two and kill the tie off i reckon, time for the other players to step up and make up for the mistakes on Sunday against Liverpool!

Dave & Lought. I have merged your posts from the Tottenham Fixtures section into the Inter match thread. Thanx.
Vis . . . . .

Tottenham's Gareth Bale is suspended for the Europa League last-16 clash at Inter Milan after receiving a third yellow card in the 3-0 first leg win.

Forwards Aaron Lennon and Emmanuel Adebayor travelled to Italy despite missing Sunday's defeat to Liverpool.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey is unavailable with a calf strain as are Younes Kaboul and Sandro with knee injuries.

When asked whether he would field a weakened side, Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas said: "No chance."

He added: "There is no scoreline that could make us change six or seven players so we will play a strong team to make sure we go through in this competition.

"We take this game very seriously."

And the Spurs boss is confident his team will be OK without the suspended Bale.

"We've been in situation where he is not with us and we got results," said the Portuguese.

"Gareth can make a difference in any game, we know. We will miss him but we won't want to prove anything without him because we believe a lot in ourselves and also we believe in Gareth.

"It's not a case of proving anything. We just want to do our job to get through."

Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni admits it will take a huge effort to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

"We want to do well and honour [the competition], but we know our situation and our numbers are limited," he said.

Stramaccioni has withdrawn Alvaro Pereira, Dejan Stankovic, Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Benassi from his squad to face Tottenham.

Argentine pair Diego Milito and Walter Samuel are also missing through injury.

"Football is strange. 3-0 is difficult to overturn, but we'll be taking to the field to win," said Stramaccioni.

"We want to do well in front of our fans and win the game, and then as far as qualifying for the next round is concerned, we'll have to see.

"There's no point denying it - we're not playing well at present and it's up to me, as the coach, to find the way to give my players more security which they don't have."