By Report as Tottenham triumphs in their first-ever Europa League match; In the eighth minute, Brennan Johnson scores the first goal after Radu Dragusin was sent off; Spurs’ lead is doubled by Pape Sarr; Toral Bayramov of Qarabag avoids a penalty; Third goal for Dominic Solanke as a series of excellent saves from Guglielmo Vicario
In an enthralling 3-0 Europa League victory over Qarabag, 10-man Tottenham saw goals from Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke again.
Spurs’ European season got off to a dramatic start when, in just the eighth minute, Radu Dragusin was sent off for blocking a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Kickoff had been delayed for more than thirty minutes due to travel problems, which caused Azerbaijani club Qarabag to arrive late.
However, just four minutes later, Johnson, who was on fire, scored his third goal in a row. Mateusz Kochalski, the visiting goalie, then missed an open chance from outside the box.
However, Qarabag had a forgettable night in front of the goal as they were unable to score from an xG of 2.22. Before the half, their dangerous player Juninho wasted a clear opportunity, and eight minutes after Pape Sarr had doubled Spurs’ advantage, Toral Bayramov hit the top of the crossbar with a penalty that was awarded due to Yves Bissouma’s reckless sliding foul.
Guglielmo Vicario made five saves that evening, first deflecting a long-range effort from Bayramov and then allowing Juninho’s powerful strike to rattle his right post.
Spurs rode their luck, but after Heung-Min Son’s attempt was saved, Solanke tapped in his second of the game to seal the victory. Following his treatment, Son cautiously left the area, with manager Ange Postecoglou later admitting that his skipper was “a bit tired” in anticipation of Spurs’ Sunday trip to Manchester United.
