UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE: NK Maribor 1 Tottenham 1:GYLFI SIGURDSSON helped Tottenham rescue a point in Slovenia last night after an inept performance at NK Maribor saw them slump to a third successive Europa League draw.
The former Swansea midfielder has yet to find his feet since his summer arrival, but went some way to repaying the north Londoners’ faith by lashing home to ensure his side did not leave the Stadion Ljudski vrt empty-handed.
It was a goal that saved Spurs’ blushes in what was a frustrating night against a Maribor side that came into the match with a record of just two wins from their previous 15 European games on home soil.
The Vijolicasti lost home and away to the Championship side Birmingham in last season’s competition yet took the lead three minutes from half-time when Robert Beric prodded home.
Andre Villas-Boas brought on Iago Falque at the break in a bid to change thing and the move paid dividends 13 minutes later, with the Spaniard playing in the cross that allowed Sigurdsson to score during a penalty-box melee.
Tottenham pushed for a winner but were unable to eke out another goal, with the point leaving them third in Group J at the halfway point.
Villas-Boas named a strong-looking line-up, making just three changes to the side that lost 4-2 to Chelsea at the weekend.
Hugo Lloris, Kyle Naughton and Andros Townsend came in and would likely have been joined by Michael Dawson had he not been ruled out with illness.
Maribor’s main threat came on the counter-attack and they found the net four minutes later through Beric, although the striker had already been flagged offside much to the home support’s audible frustration.
Walker lashed a 20-yard effort harmlessly wide and Jan Vertonghen saw a tame header easily caught by Jasmin Handanovic as Tottenham pushed for the evening’s first goal.
Villas-Boas’ side almost paid for their profligacy in front of goal after 39 minutes when Ales Mejac hit a hopeful 30-yard strike just wide.
It was a warning Tottenham failed to heed and three minutes later Maribor made them pay.
Dejan Mezga did superbly down the left and skipped past Huddlestone’s challenge, before dinking the ball over Lloris for under-pressure Beric to stab home.
Villas-Boas replaced the ineffective Townsend with Falque and by the 58th minute the score was level.
The substitute’s cross from the left fell for Defoe, whose thumping effort was somehow cleared off the line but fell straight for Sigurdsson to score from close range.
NK MARIBOR:Handanovic, Milec, Rajcevic, Arghus, Mejac, Mertelj, Cvijanovic, Mezga (Filipovic 73),Tavares (Komazec 90), Ibraimi, Beric. Subs not used: Pridigar, Ploj, Viler, Dodlek, Lesjak. Booked: Mezga.
TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Walker, Caulker, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro (Livermore 84), Huddlestone, Lennon, Sigurdsson (Dempsey 75), Townsend (Falque 46), Defoe. Subs not used: Cudicini, Gallas, Smith, Parrett. Booked: Naughton.
Referee: Sergei Karasev(Russia).
