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MOTD- Benfica 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

By on March 20, 2014

Tottenham Hotspur might have shown plenty of spirit to come back from behind to earn a draw with Benfica, but it couldn’t have been more obvious that Tim Sherwood’s side had their eyes cast on their Premier League run-in rather than the second leg of their Europa League tie. Christian Eriksen came on towards the end for a cameo appearance, but aside from that and Roberto Soldado’s start the Spurs squad was basically their reserve side and substitutes. However, to be fair, it would have taken a small miracle for the visitors to come back after their 3-1 loss in the first leg. Yet, even with their reserve side, they came close enough to pulling the tie even again that Sherwood should be satisfied that his side are European quality.

Even at the home of the Portuguese champions Benfica Tottenham were somewhat positive in the opening half hour, with Roberto Soldado flashing a volley wide of the target in the fifteenth minute before Nacer Chadli headed a Spurs corner wide at the far post. But, out of nowhere, Benfica then put the game past Tottenham with an opening goal via their first shot on target and only second shot on the night. Eduardo Salvio cut in from the right and clipped a cross into the mixer, where Ezequiel Gary rose up and smacked a low bullet header past Brad Friedel into the back of the net from eight yards out.

Tottenham responded, but took nearly a half-four after the goal to do so. The visitors began to look vaguely dangerous again as Chadli sliced a low shot straight into the arms of Jan Oblak from the edge of the box in the seventy-fourth minute, and just four minutes later, mind, after Eriksen came on, found an equalizer. Chadli brought down Friedel’s long ball some fifty yards out from goal, and after running towards the edge of the box down the left the winger cut inside before sending a dipping effort into the bottom left corner. Amazingly, Tottenham found a second just seconds later when Harry Kane’s head-down at the far post from Aaron Lennon’s cross from the right was volleyed into the top right corner from Chadli.

The finale then blew up, as a third Tottenham goal would push the match into extra-time. Glyfi Sigurdsson came so close to scoring that vital goal when he met Chadli’s cross from the left at the far post, yet Oblak made a incredible save to push the ball wide and keep Benfica in front on aggregate. Harry Kane headed Lennon’s cross towards the bottom corner of the near post three minutes into stoppage time, but Oblak came across to make an even better save to bring the ball down with him on the dive. But just when it seemed Tottenham were going to get that third goal, Benfica put it beyond them as Lima tucked home a penalty into to bottom right corner after Sandro steamrollered over him on the left side of the Tottenham box. Tottenham came so close, but to no avail. At least Tim Sherwood was able to take it in stride, lightly commenting on how Benfica manager Jorge Jesus would be given more opportunities to wave his fingers at other managers after the manager’s confrontation in the first leg.
Man of the Match: Nacer Chadli

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.