Tottenham Triumphs Over Qarabag Despite Early Red Card in Europa League Opener
Tottenham Hotspur kicked off their Europa League campaign with an impressive victory against Qarabag, even after being reduced to 10 men just seven minutes into the match.
A 35-minute delay to kickoff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, due to travel disruptions, set the stage for an eventful evening. Early on, defender Radu Dragusin received a straight red card for bringing down Juninho in a one-on-one situation as the Brazilian advanced toward goal.
Despite the setback, Tottenham took the lead just five minutes later when Brennan Johnson capitalized on a defensive mistake from Qarabag. Dominic Solanke assisted the 23-year-old, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, marking his third goal in as many matches.
Pape Sarr doubled Spurs’ advantage in the 52nd minute, controlling a loose ball at the far post before powering it home. Qarabag was awarded a penalty shortly after when Yves Bissouma fouled Elvin Cafarquliyev, but Toral Bayramov’s spot-kick hit the crossbar, leaving the Azerbaijani champions frustrated.
Qarabag created several scoring opportunities, but Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made crucial saves to maintain the clean sheet. Solanke sealed the win in the 68th minute, finishing confidently after goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski deflected a long-range shot from Son Heung-min into his path.
Manager Ange Postecoglou, who made six changes from the squad that beat Brentford in the Premier League, viewed the match as a chance to rotate his players amid a packed schedule. He handed starts to 18-year-olds Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, though Bergvall was substituted for defender Destiny Udogie following the red card.
While Bergvall sat on the bench looking disappointed, there were plenty of positives for Postecoglou: valuable minutes for younger players, a clean sheet despite being a man down, and a confidence boost from goals by Solanke and Johnson, who recently faced criticism after a derby loss to Arsenal.
However, Tottenham’s aggressive attacking style continues to expose them to counter-attacks. Qarabag must have been left wondering how they failed to score, with Juninho having a goal ruled out for offside and Bayramov coming close multiple times. Vicario also delivered a standout save against Cafarquliyev’s long-range effort.
A concern for Spurs was the sight of Son hobbling off in the second half, especially with a Premier League clash against Manchester United looming this Sunday, followed by a trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros next week.