Tottenham kicked off their Europa League campaign with an impressive win over Qarabag, despite being reduced to 10 men just seven minutes into the match.
Following a 35-minute delay to the start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to travel disruptions, Spurs faced an early setback when defender Radu Dragusin was shown a straight red card for bringing down Juninho, who was through on goal.
Despite the disadvantage, Brennan Johnson scored five minutes later after Qarabag’s attempt to play out from the back was intercepted, allowing Dominic Solanke to set up the 23-year-old for a composed finish into the bottom corner. It marked Johnson’s third goal in as many games.
Pape Sarr extended Tottenham’s lead in the 52nd minute, controlling a loose ball at the far post and firing it into the net.
Qarabag were awarded a penalty three minutes later when Yves Bissouma fouled Elvin Cafarquliyev, but Toral Bayramov’s weak spot-kick hit the crossbar.
The Azerbaijan Premier League champions created several chances, with Guglielmo Vicario making key saves, but Qarabag ultimately lacked the clinical finishing that Ange Postecoglou’s side displayed.
Solanke sealed the win in the 68th minute, capitalizing on a rebound after goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski parried Son Heung-min’s long-range strike, allowing Solanke to confidently slot home.
Positives for Postecoglou
Before the match, Postecoglou expressed concern about the increasingly congested football schedule, calling it a “dangerous level.” As a result, he took the opportunity to rotate his squad, making six changes from the team that defeated Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
He gave 18-year-olds Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray their second starts for Spurs, but following Radu Dragusin’s early red card, midfielder Bergvall was substituted to bring on defender Destiny Udogie.
Bergvall, who chose Spurs over Barcelona during the summer transfer window, appeared disappointed on the bench, as his chance to impress Postecoglou was cut short.
However, there were several positives for Postecoglou. His young players gained valuable experience, the team secured a clean sheet despite being a man down, and summer signing Dominic Solanke, along with Brennan Johnson, scored confidence-boosting goals. Johnson, in particular, had deactivated his Instagram account after receiving criticism following Spurs’ derby defeat to Arsenal earlier in the month.
Despite these positives, Tottenham’s aggressive attacking style left them vulnerable to counter-attacks. Qarabag came close to scoring multiple times, with Juninho’s goal ruled out for offside, Bayramov threatening on several occasions, and Vicario making an outstanding save to stop Cafarquliyev’s long-range effort.
Another potential concern for Spurs is the sight of Son Heung-min limping off in the second half, especially with an upcoming Premier League match against Manchester United on Sunday and a Europa League clash with Ferencvaros next week.