As to be expected, it was another wild night for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham as they picked up a 2-1 victory at Ferencvaros in Budapest, Hungary to go two from two to start their Europa League campaign.
It was also their fifth consecutive win in all competitions – the first time they have reached that mark since Jose Mourinho was in charge in 2021 – and it came off the back of Postecoglou blooding youth.
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The Australian made seven changes from the line-up that thumped Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday which included starting four teenagers as 19-year-old Will Lankshear made his senior debut, while 17-year-old Mikey Moore started for the first time
The Hungarian champions have always welcomed their opponents with a hostile environment as Spurs became just the second English side in 11 attempts in European competition to leave Budapest with a victory.
The atmosphere was no less intimidating on Thursday night as the Ferencvaros fans went ballistic when an early goal to the home side was controversially ruled out for offside after a lengthy check.
Fans were livid as replays led many to believe Barnabas Verga was onside before heading home a lovely cross from Eldar Civic.
The confusion was clarified by TNT pundit Joe Cole at half-time who said the camera angle had created an “optical illusion” because it was not directly in line with the offside line.
Tottenham got on with business however as Pape Sarr opened the scoring 23 minutes into the first half when he pounced on a loose ball to score his second goal in two Europa League games.
Brennan Johnson later came off the bench to put the game to bed with an 86th minute left footed rocket which ricocheted off the post.
The Welshman is in sublime form having scored five goals in his last five games across all competitions, but Ferencvaros salvaged a late goal courtesy of Verga to prevent Spurs from keeping a clean sheet.
Postecoglou – who notched up his 50th match in charge of the north London club – was asked repeatedly post-game about the influence of his teenagers.
Lankshear played 66 minutes up front, 18-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall was substituted a minute earlier, while 18-year-old defender Archie Gray and winger Moore played out the entire match.
One reporter suggested that Manchester United have had the ‘Busby Babes’ and ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ could this side by ‘Ange’s Angels’?
The Australian laughed it off saying “you’ve got to do better than that, mate”.
But of his teenage brigade, Postecoglou did engage with a question about them being “particularly special”.
“Yes, they are. They’re 18. What were you doing when you were 18?” he asked with a laugh.
“I mean how many 17-year-olds are playing in the Premier League?”
Postecoglou’s praise extended to Moore in particular.
The academy product and England age-group international was lively on the right-wing and showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion.
“I thought he was outstanding,” Postecoglou said. “It’s brilliant for a 17-year-old to play 90 plus minutes in a European away tie. He just handled it superbly, I kind of knew he would, and I think it’ll help his growth as a footballer once you get through a sort of experience like that.
“I think he’ll grow and evolve, and I didn’t feel like I needed to take him off. He still looked strong at the end and was still contributing.”
Tottenham’s next match is a Premier League contest at Brighton at 2.30am AEDT on Monday morning.
MAGUIRE SAVES MAN UTD FROM MORE PAIN IN PORTO
Harry Maguire’s injury-time equaliser saved Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag from another damaging defeat after the Red Devils blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.
Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund had given the visitors a dream start with two goals inside the first 20 minutes.
But a double from Samu Omorodion, after Pepe brought Porto back into the game, had the English giants heading for defeat.
United then had captain Bruno Fernandes sent off for the second consecutive game, but the 10 men salvaged a point when Maguire headed in a corner.
Ten Hag’s men have now begun their Europa League campaign with two draws after being held at home by FC Twente last week to sit 21st in the 36-team table.
And the manner of their capitulation after a fast start will do little to ease the pressure on their manager ahead of Sunday’s daunting Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
“We started the game very good, we dominated, scored two good goals but then we lost control,” said Ten Hag.”The middle part (of the match) was no good.” The former Ajax boss has defiantly defended his record after winning the League Cup and FA Cup in his first two seasons in charge at Old Trafford — ending United’s six-year trophy drought in the process.
And Ten Hag insisted he should be judged at the end of the season. “We will get there, don’t judge us in this moment,” he added. “Judge us in the end of the season. We will improve, we have two seasons where we achieved finals. Just wait, we will develop and progress this team.” Ten Hag could not have wished for a better start, even if Porto were architects of their own downfall.
– Rashford shines –
Rashford has shown flashes of a return to his best form after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign and opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season.
The England international skipped between two Porto defenders before firing in a shot that Portugal number one Diogo Costa should have kept out.
Rashford then turned creator for the second as his pass fed Hojlund, who again beat Costa at his near post with a powerful strike.
But just as Ten Hag was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief on the touchline, United’s two-goal advantage was wiped out in seven minutes.
Pepe reduced the arrears by stooping to head in the rebound after Andre Onana had produced heroics to prevent Noussair Mazraoui’s header finding his own net.
Omorodian could have been lining up for Chelsea in the Premier League had the Spaniard not failed a medical that led to his move from Atletico Madrid collapsing.
But he has seven goals in his first six games for Porto and brought the home side level with a towering header.
Worse was to come for the visitors and their beleaguered boss after the break. Rashford’s promising display was cut short at half-time as he was replaced by Alejandro Garnacho with one eye on the trip to Villa.
The United defence was shredded once more by a sprightly Porto counter-attack on 50 minutes.
Pepe sprinted down the left beyond Lisandro Martinez and his low cross was blasted high past Onana by Omorodian, who had escaped the attentions of Matthijs de Ligt.
Fernandes then picked up a second yellow card on his return to Portugal. But it was the man who Ten Hag stripped of the captaincy that could have saved his job.
Maguire rose highest to power home Eriksen’s corner in the 91st minute to salvage a point.
– With AFP
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