GROUP A: Inter Milan 4 Tottenham 3:TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR must have spent decades yearning for an occasion such as this, against the reigning champions of Europe at exalted San Siro. Their fans could hardly bear to watch, however, as their side demonstrated their inadequacy even before the dismissal of goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and the penalty award that saw Internazionale move 3-0 ahead.
Nobody could have suspected pride could be salvaged so excitingly at the end. Gareth Bale, who had struck early in the second half, scored twice from the 90th minute with expertly taken finishes.
The fact remains the visitors had mostly been out of their depth.
Inter manager Rafael Benitez will be aggrieved by complacency and lack of concentration.
No one should deny the Spurs fans the startling encouragement they abruptly had here, but their squad has far to go before it can hold its own at this sort of level for 90 minutes.
Judging by the empty seats, Inter supporters had not anticipated a riveting challenge. Their judgment was prescient, yet this was still a spectacle of sorts. Few sides collapse with such speed.
While the dismissal of the goalkeeper made their position hopeless, Tottenham had been incapable of resistance almost from the kick-off. While the central defence has been afflicted by injuries, the extent of the fragility was still surprising.
The sanctuary of the interval was still 10 minutes away when the fourth goal was conceded. Benitez’s claim to be making Inter a more entertaining side was upheld here even if the fun of it all was lost on Spurs. There was barely a respectful delay before Inter had demonstrated the inadequacy of their opponents at this level.
Zavier Zanetti must have guessed then he need not confine himself to the usual duties of a defensive midfielder. Having begun the move in the second minute, he broke forward to score from the build-up by Coutinho and Samuel Eto’o.
All notion of Tottenham gathering themselves was soon dismissed. With eight minutes gone, a penalty was conceded.
Wesley Sneijder’s crossfield pass unleashed Jonathan Biabiany and Gomes brought down the Frenchman. The spot kick was converted with assurance by Eto’o as he beat Carlo Cudicini.
The brittleness of Tottenham had been detected long before this occasion and the present series of injuries to centre halves cannot be used as an excuse. In the qualifier for this tournament, the side was 3-0 down to Young Boys in Berne by the 28th minute. The recovery there pointed to all that is best about Redknapp’s squad, but it would be absurd to suppose it could be echoed at San Siro.
Aghast as the side would have been about that early collapse on that occasion, they had still been able to score before the interval and another goal followed near the end of that occasion. Here, their show of attacking intent was, when it arrived, magnificent if irrelevant.
The dynamic Bale launched himself forward from the half-way line in the 52nd minute. His run took him past Zanetti and Walter Samuel could not stop him from converting the chance.
The visiting support were excited by that verve and skill. It was not so much a consolation as a proof that high ability is to be found in the Tottenham ranks. Perhaps there might even have been an interruption to Inter’s authority had Crouch not been wasteful with a far-post header when the score was 3-1.
That third goal had come with a low shot from Dejan Stankovic in the 14th minute. Following a partly accidental link-up with Eto’o there were feints before he shot past the left hand of Cudicini.
Eto’o’s second goal, 10 minutes from half-time, came as Gallas failed to play him off-side. That lapse by the Tottenham centre half confirmed that the red card for Gomes had not been the sole cause of this rout.
Guardian Service
INTER MILAN:Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu (Pandev 61), Zanetti, Stankovic (Santon 50), Biabiany (Cordoba 75), Sneijder, Coutinho, Eto'o. Subs not used: Castellazzi, Muntari, Cambiasso, Materazzi. Booked: Chivu.
Zanetti 2 Eto’o 11 (pen), 35 Stankovic 14
TOTTENHAM:Gomes, Hutton, Gallas, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Jenas, Huddlestone (Palacios 80), Bale, Modric (Cudicini 8), Crouch (Keane 67). Subs not used: Kaboul, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Kranjcar. Booked: Palacios.
Bale 52, 90, 90 Sent off: Gomes (8)
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).
