Even Bill Nicholson will not have witnessed many more remarkable goals than the superb rabona that Erik Lamela scored to secure Tottenham’s first European victory of the campaign. This game will always be remembered for the Argentine’s impudent effort in the first half, but Harry Kane’s hat-trick also lit up a comfortable win for Spurs that leaves them in a commanding position in their group.
Nicholson, the great Tottenham manager, died 10 years ago this week and this performance was a fitting tribute to a club icon. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were in an enjoyably ruthless mood against a team which had started this competition well.
It was quite a night for Kane, who went in goal for the closing stages following a red card to Hugo Lloris. Kane let a free-kick from Jerónimo Barrales slip through his fingers, but it was scant consolation for Tripolis.
Spurs were in need of a win given their position in Group C before kick-off. Two draws from two had eased them into the campaign, but given Tripolis topped the standings having won in Belgrade and drawn against Besiktas, the unexpected leaders had emerged as the team to beat in their debut campaign.
Tripolis’ population is less than 50,000 and, for the small number who had made the journey from Arcadia, their first-half was certainly one to forget. They were 2-0 down after half an hour, having squandered opportunities of their own after threatening Spurs’ centre-back pairing of Federico Fazio and Jan Vertonghen.
The Belgian was one of six changes made by Pochettino following the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend. It was Lamela, though, who produced the game’s finest moment with an exquisite piece of skill in the 29th minute. Before then Tripolis had arguably matched Spurs, but the Argentine’s brilliance put paid to any hopes of an equaliser in the opening half.
Etienne Capoue was caught out early on when covering in a central defensive position, turning awkwardly following a ball over the top, but the Tripolis midfielder Pablo Mazza could only drag his shot wide. It was to be the story of the half for the Greeks, with Giorgos Zisopoulos coming close with a looping header from a free kick, while Ben Davies clearing brilliantly off the line moment’s before Lamela’s effort at the opposing end, Facundo Parra denied after his initial shot was parried by Hugo Lloris.
Kane had already given Spurs the lead with an effort out of the blue. Tottenham were beginning to press when the forward received the ball from Capoue and rifled a low shot past opposing goalkeeper Tomás Kosicky and in off the far post in the 13th minute.
If that was a decent strike, then Lamela’s first was out of this world. He received the ball just outside the area following good work from Adebayor and wrapped his left foot around his standing right. The contact was pure, and the direction sublime. Davies could only put his hands on his head in shock. Pochettino, remarkably, did not react at all.
The Spurs manager was furious, though, moments later when Lamela dawdled on the ball in midfield when it was clear to all inside the stadium that Adebayor should have been fed through on goal. It was certainly a strange few minutes but, retreating down the tunnel at half-time, Lamela can rarely have moved with such swagger.
He had a shot charged down in the penalty area in the 48th minute following a cushioned header from Adebayor, with Tottenham increasing the pressure. Fernando Usero had an effort well blocked at the other end, but the visiting captain appeared to be fighting a losing battle.
His team were sinking and almost conceded in calamitous circumstances. Tripolis failed to deal with a simple cross from the right touchline and centre-half Khalifa Sankaré almost comically hacked the ball into his own net.
Lamela soon had a second. Tripolis were guilty of more poor defending and allowed the Argentinian time and space in the area after being played in by Kane. His initial shot was blocked into the air but, with an apparent new-found confidence, he lashed a left-footed volley under the goalkeeper from the rebound.
Lloris was called into action and produced a brilliant save to deny Usero, but the game was up for Tripolis.
Kane bagged his second of the evening with 16 minutes remaining, sweeping in after Kosicky had spilled an initial shot from Mousa Dembélé, and soon had a hat-trick. The young striker headed in from a Fazio cross towards the end of a miserable night for the Greeks, before Kane replaced Lloris in goal after the Frenchman was shown a red card in the closing stages for bringing down Tasos Tsokanis.
