Ange Postecoglou pinpoints Tottenham's big flaw after Galatasaray stinker
GALATASARAY 3-2 TOTTENHAM: Victor Osimhen scored twice as Spurs' second-string defence produced a comedy of errors to taste first Europa League defeat of the season
by Alan Smith · The MirrorAnge Postecoglou’s reshuffled defence produced an almighty stinker only for Dejan Kulusevski to come desperately close to snatching the unlikeliest of draws.
The Swedish sub sent a 93rd-minute effort wide with Galatasaray stopper Fernando Muslera off his line – after 10-man Spurs were taught a lesson by opponents who could have threatened double figures.
By the end Turkey’s champions racked up an eye-watering 29 attempts. Were it not for their wasteful finishing, Spurs would have left Istanbul a laughing stock.
Victor Osimhen capitalised on repeated needless errors from the north Londoners to score twice in the first half after Yunus Akgun put Galatasaray in front with a stunning half-volley after six minutes.
And while teenager Will Lankshear equalised with his first senior goal, before being set off in the 60th minute, Postecoglou’s second-string back-line made it clear that they were not up to the task.
This always looked like Tottenham ’s most difficult assignment and three opening wins offered a degree of flexibility for a squad weakened by injury and illness.
Yet Postecoglou should be gravely concerned by just how naive his players performed from the start. “It was self-inflicted,” Postecoglou said. “The moments that stick out to me was giving the ball away.”
Osimhen might have had a double hat-trick but was denied by Fraser Forster, the offside flag and a couple of uncharacteristic misses. And he was gifted those chances by defending more suited to a local park than a professional match.
Radu Dragusin was particularly culpable having been pressed into coughing up possession for Osimhen’s first strike.
And the Romania centre-back also allowed Osimhen, a transfer target for Chelsea last summer, to coast past him to make it 3-1 following a silky Dries Mertens delivery.
“In the first half we gave the ball away too much,” Postecoglou added. “We lacked composure and we allowed Galatasaray to get a foothold in the game and we paid the price for that.”
Forster was the sole player to emerge with credit and a double substitution at half-time, including the removal of captain Heung-min Son, failed to halt their hosts’ charge.
Galatasary went on to dominate the opening 15 minutes of the second half and saw a series of glorious opportunities pass them by – including three for Osimhen and another long-range thunderbolt from Akgun that was deflected wide.
At that point it appeared a case of how much the hosts would win by with Lankshear being shown two avoidable yellow cards in seven minutes.
But when Dominic Solanke produced a clever flick home from Pedro Porro’s cross with a little more than 20 remaining, there was a slight and undeserved glimmer of hope.
Galatasaray continued to miss chances before Kulusevski’s long-range attempt drifted wide after Muslera emerged 25 yards off his line to head away a through ball.
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