Tottenham welcomed Liga Sagres leaders Benfica to White Hart Lane as they looked to claim a place in the next round of the Europa League. However, all hope of progressing to the last-8 of the competition were dashed as Spurs succumbed to just their second defeat in their last 11 matches in Europe's second competition.
Fans of both sides were treated to a battling opening 25 minutes as Spurs and Benfica cancelled one another out in the midfield. With only 2 shots on goal, both from the hosts, clear-cut chances were few and far between. The home side were perhaps the dominant of the pairing, but were made to pay for the lack of cutting edge on the half-hour mark as Rodrigo beat the offside trap to fire past Hugo Lloris after the striker was played in by Rubén Amorim.
The hosts came close to levelling things minutes after the interval, but Emmanuel Adebayor could only drag his effort wide as Spurs pressed for an early second half equaliser. Despite the best efforts of Tim Sherwood's side, they found themselves 2-0 down after an hour as Luisão headed Amorim's corner into the back of the net from close range.
However, Spurs were handed a lifeline midway through the second half when Christian Eriksen planted a free kick into the top corner from 20 yard, but it wasn't to be as Luisão made it 3-1 to the visitors with under 10 minutes to play that puts Benfica one step closer to Turin.
It was a performance similar to that of the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend as Spurs ultimately capitulated after going one-goal down on a night that surely has Sherwood wondering whether he'll be in the job at the beginning of next season. Despite what he said following the loss to their west London rivals, his team looked tactically clueless in a fixture that promised so much for the home supporters.
Though that's not to say Spurs were second best, and up until Rodrigo's opener it can be argued they were the better of the two teams. Yet, the lack of mental toughness from the hosts again proved telling and in spite of the brief flurry of opportunities following the interval, the home side were largely second to everything, despite enjoying 55% possession to Benfica's 45%.
With more tackles (23 to 15) and a marginally better pass success (76% to 73%), the neutral would have been of the opinion that Spurs didn't deserve to lose. However, with 6 shots to Benfica's 9 and lacking in clear-cut chances created, the north London outfit can count themselves lucky that they hadn't conceded more by the time the full-time whistle was blown.
Once Luisão's second cannoned in off the crossbar to confirm the victory, Sherwood cast a forlorn figure on the sidelines, lacking any sort of idea as to how to turn this tie around. The former midfielder had been praised for his 'tell it like it is' attitude, but his tactical naivety was unsurprisingly capitalised upon by the experienced Jorge Jesus.
The Portuguese side are unbeaten at home in the league and Europe this term and judging from the display on Thursday night, Spurs are unlikely to end that run. While Jesus admitted it is only half-time in the tie after the match, deep down he must know that this encounter is already over.
Arsenal make the short trip to White Hart Lane on Sunday and some quarters of the fanbase are pondering how many the Gunners will score, rather than whether Spurs can secure a positive result against their fierce rivals. The welcome of Arsenal provides Spurs with the ideal opportunity to return to winning ways, though a dramatic turn in fortune will be needed if they're to progress to the next round of the Europa League.
Do you think Spurs can overcome Benfica and reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
No