Knockout Spurs join Europe’s elite

Published: 25 November, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT

Champions League - Spurs 3, Werder Bremen 0

SPURS strode into the knockout phase of the Champions League last night (Wednesday) with a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen – and goalscorer Peter Crouch said he believes the team have shown they belong at this level.

Speaking after the victory, he told the New Journal: “It has been a terrific night for the players and the fans – it was a well-deserved and hard-fought victory, and you can feel the excitement around the ground. We are as good as anyone going forward. We always know we are capable of scoring goals and there is no one in the competition who won’t be aware of the damage we can cause.”

With one game to go, manager Harry Redknapp’s charges can win their group if they beat FC Twente in two weeks’ time.

It took just five minutes for the home team to take the lead. Aaron Lennon skipped down the line and fired a ball across the face of the goal for Saturday’s derby hero Younes Kaboul to hammer home a powerful volley. But it took until the 45th minute for the second, this time courtesy of Luka Modric, and it should have been three on 52 when Modric won a penalty – Gareth Bale’s shot was well saved. 

Crouch completed a comprehensive performance with a neat, close-range effort on 79, and Spurs now have a winter to galvanise themselves, get long-term absentees such as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate back, and enjoy the thrill of being amongst Europe’s 16 best teams in the draw for the knockout stages.