Tottenham Hotspur vs Linz ASK. UEFA Europa League Group J.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Match report as Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son strikes get Spurs off to Europa League flier; Carlos Vinicius and Gareth Bale have hand in all three goals
Monday 26 October 2020 17:20, UK
Spurs cruised to an opening-night Europa League victory without hitting top gear as Linz ASK were comprehensively beaten 3-0 on Thursday.
The damage was done inside 27 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Lucas Moura's opener and Andres Andrade's own goal secured an insurmountable lead for Jose Mourinho's side.
Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius had a hand in both first-half goals on their full debuts since joining Tottenham in the summer, and Vinicius capped a fine performance with his second assist five minutes from time as substitute Heung-min Son sealed the win.
Summer signings Bale and Vinicius made the first starts of their loan spells at Spurs, and the on-loan Benfica striker had a glorious chance to instantly endear himself to his new club on nine minutes but headed Matt Doherty's cross wide from six yards.
Vinicius made amends four minutes later though, as he drifted in behind to gather Ben Davies' long ball and squared the ball perfectly for Moura to slot Spurs into the lead with his third goal of the season.
Bale and Doherty tormented the left-hand side of the LASK defence, and that's where Spurs' second came from as Andrade turned the ball into his own net while trying to prevent Bale's centre from reaching the unmarked Vinicius.
Erik Lamela almost added an instant third, but LASK goalkeeper Alexander Schlager scrambled back to stop the ball from trickling over the goal line after failing to stop the Argentine's initial effort.
Having been bystander for the majority of the first period, LASK forced Joe Hart into action as the first half drew to a close, with the Spurs stopper tipping Andreas Gruber's effort behind for a corner.
Lamela very nearly got his goal within seconds of the restart when he flashes a shot across the face of goal after showing great footwork to evade two LASK defenders.
Bale's involvement came to an end on the hour but the introduction of Son and Dele Alli ensured chances kept on coming for the hosts.
Doherty and Moura headed opportunities over the target and Son had a shot saved before Vinicius slotted Alli through on goal with a perfect through pass, but his effort was hacked off the line after breaching Schlager's defences first time around.
But Vinicius was determined to demonstrate his creative abilities and cushioned a sumptuous header into the path of Son as he slotted in his ninth goal of the season to confirm Spurs' comprehensive win.
Lightening the load on Harry Kane is a task Spurs have struggled to get to grips with in recent seasons. As a result, injuries have taken their toll on Spurs' leading marksman, but in summer signing Carlos Vinicius, they look to have finally found an able deputy.
The first glimpse of the on-loan Benfica striker showed Spurs now possess and physical and creative presence in reserve who is ideally suited to the challenges that lie ahead in English football.
Vinicius was brought to Spurs with a view to shouldering the attacking burden, and his two fine assists against LASK serve as proof he can more than hit that brief.
Tottenham travel to Burnley at 8pm on Monday Night Football - live on Sky Sports Premier League. Spurs head to Royal Antwerp and LASK host Ludogorets in the Europa League next Thursday at 5.55pm.
Juan Mata is the special guest on this week's show, and he tells Peter Smith about Man Utd's return to form, looks ahead to their clash with Chelsea, and shares his views on the work being done off the pitch by Marcus Rashford.
Plus, we have more fallout from the Merseyside derby with Alan Myers explains Everton's perspective, Johnny Phillips discusses cult hero Conor Coady's importance to Wolves and Sky Sports Data Editor Adam Smith delves into the numbers behind the Premier League's goal rush, and makes a bold Pitch!
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