CSKA Moscow 0 Tottenham Hostpur 1
There is a quirky design feature at CSKA Moscow's new stadium. In one of the corners, there is a skyscraper in the shape of the Uefa Cup, the trophy that CSKA won in 2005, when they became the first Russian club to claim a major European honour. The tower cast a metaphorical shadow. Lose here, and Tottenham Hotspur knew that they could well end up playing in the modern version of the tournament – the Europa League.
The pressure was on, after their 2-1 home defeat to Monaco in the opening round of Champions League fixtures and Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, had arrived in Russia without five key players because of injury. It felt like an acid test of his team's credentials. They got the job done with a performance of nerve and style, which not only ignited their hopes in Europe but reinforced the feelgood factor that has built since the start of the season.
Tottenham were the better team, and they became stronger as the tie wore on but they needed their supremacy count. Thanks to Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min, they did so. It was Lamela's pass that released the South Korea forward and he finished past Igor Akinfeev for his fifth goal in his past five appearances. Tottenham are up and running.
It was this stadium’s opening Champions League tie and the first whistle was the prompt for the locals, who had packed the stands, to launch into their songs and drum beats. The red and blue flags fluttered. It was not intimidating, as some of the old-school Russian venues can appear, but it was lively. The 250 or so Tottenham fans struggled to make themselves heard.
The injuries had restricted Pochettino's options in midfield, depriving him of muscle and assurance, and he responded by tweaking his normal formation to a 4-3-3, with Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli pushed forward either side of Victor Wanyama. Eriksen and Alli probed and they tried to expose the CSKA centre-backs, Vasili Berezutski and Sergei Ignashevich, whose combined age was 71.
After the Monaco tie, when lapses had proved so costly, Pochettino called for focus and Wanyama's early yellow card, after he took a heavy touch and then lunged at Aleksandr Golovin, was not a part of any Tottenham script.
The temperature had dropped sharply by kick-off time but this was no sub-zero Moscow freeze – the like of which will come later in the tournament. Pochettino had recalled one of his playing trips with Espanyol to face Lokomotiv Moscow from 2005-06 when he said the snow could be measured halfway up his legs. He and his team could be grateful for small mercies.
CSKA carried a towering physical threat in the shape of the one-time Everton centre-forward Lacina Traoré and there was a moment in the first half, after Alli had lost the ball to the slippery Roman Eremenko, when Traoré was isolated one-on-one with Toby Alderweireld inside the penalty area. Alderweireld stood tall to ease in front of him. It was a snapshot of the application that was required from Tottenham. Spurs' best moment of an even and slow-burning first half came after an incision from Eriksen.
Pontus Wernbloom scrambled the ball away from him but only as far as Alli, who unfurled a glorious rising drive from 25 yards that clattered against the crossbar. Akinfeev was beaten. There was also a chance for Alderweireld after a corner had been recycled and Kieran Trippier, who was preferred to Kyle Walker at right-back, crossed.
Alderweireld's free header lacked bite. The CSKA diehards kept up the din from behind one of the goals and their team flickered in the first half. Zoran Tosic seized upon a half-cleared cross to size up a decent opportunity from the edge of the area only to shoot high while a piece of flamboyance from Eremenko got him away from Lamela. Eremenko cut inside and he shot low, which forced Hugo Lloris to get down and across to save.
The question for Tottenham as the second-half wore on was whether they would be happy to take a point. The answer was no. Pochettino's team played some purposeful stuff in the territory leading up to the CSKA box and they took control of the tie. Trippier and Ben Davies pressed higher up the flanks while Alli began to enjoy some space. His twinkle-toes threatened to make something happen. Son had his bursts, too.
It was a frustrating evening for the striker, Vincent Janssen, who worked tirelessly but could get nothing to fall his way in the final third and Pochettino replaced him on 67 minutes. It would prove to be an inspired change. Lamela moved up front – he would later swap positions with Son – and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou entered on the wing.
Pochettino wanted one killer pass for one clear-cut chance and Lamela provided it. He shredded the CSKA back-line and, suddenly, Son was one-on-one against Akinfeev, with the destiny of the tie at his feet. Son’s finish was too strong and, although the goalkeeper got something to it, it was not enough. The ball rolled over the line and the sudden silence inside the arena was jolting.
(Guardian service)
