Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur made it through to the group stages of the Europa League, beating Israeli side Maccabi Haifa 7-2
Harry Kane Inspires Victory
Harry Kane on Song as Spurs Go on the Attack
Kane has been getting plaudits for his assists recently. On Thursday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he bagged the 15th hat trick of his career. His first goal took a mere 90 seconds as Ben Davies played a neat one-two with Steven Bergwijn and the Welshman’s pinpoint cross was finished by Kane.
The England international’s second was a routine penalty, although the handball rule came under scrutiny once more. The ball was hit hard at the defender and his hands were tucked tight into his body. It was a harsh decision. Matt Doherty was similarly penalised shortly before for handball at the other end as Maccabi Haifa kept working hard.
The hat-trick goal was a great move by Spurs. Good work from second-half substitute Dele Alli freed space for the lively Bergwijn, who found Kane to provide the finish. As that made the score 6-2, Jose Mourinho took off his star player, with a trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday to come.
Maccabi Haifa’s Long Shot
This match was going to be a long shot for the Israeli side but they did give it a go. Joe Hart was called into action on three occasions and the former England number one proved that he still has what it takes. After an early save from Hart, former Queens Park Rangers player Tjaronn Chery hit a screamer which left the goalkeeper with no chance. The ball dipped and swerved and Maccabi were briefly level.
Ultimately, they were despatched with ease but they did give Spurs a few scares.
Defensive Scares
One area that Jose Mourinho will want to focus on is the defence. At times, Tottenham afforded Maccabi Haifa too much space and they won’t get away with that against teams in the Premier League. Davinson Sanchez was at fault for the equaliser and was guilty of some poor passing. In his post-match interview, Jose Mourinho acknowledged that his team were too open as he told Premier Sports: “We were too open at times and must concentrate at all times.”
Dele Alli – Game Time at Last
Dele Alli has struggled to get in the Tottenham squad, never mind get minutes on the pitch. He was named on the bench and was brought into the fray at half-time, replacing two-goal Giovani Lo Celso. Dele showed some good touches as well as strength on the ball. He grabbed his goal from the spot after being brought down after the kind of impudent skill he was showing consistently when he first joined the club.
Whether he has done enough to secure a place in the squad for the trip to Manchester United remains to be seen. His talent is not in doubt.
Jose Mourinho Managing His Squad Well
Tottenham’s fixture congestion is well documented and the games keep coming. Jose Mourinho has managed the last week very well. He has been able to rotate players and get through against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and against Maccabi Haifa unscathed in terms of injuries.
Mourinho is building a squad for all competitions and ensuring the team have competition for places in every position. That was something that just wasn’t the case under Mauricio Pochettino.
Next Up
Before the international break, Tottenham Hotspur head to Mourinho’s former club, Manchester United, in the Premier League. If they attack as they did against Maccabi, they will be confident of coming away with all three points. The defence will need to be more solid though and Jose Mourinho will no doubt be working on that in the coming days.
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