Source: Daily_Mail
FC Twente 3 Tottenham 3: Two-goal Jermain Defoe puts Spurs through on top
It is never dull when Tottenham are in town and the Champions League' s great entertainers lived up to their reputation by scoring three away goals to progress to the knockout stage as Group A winners. [LNB]Jermain Defoe struck twice after a Peter Wisgerhof own goal courtesy of a howler from 40-year-old keeper Sander Boschker, but FC Twente came from behind three times to deny Tottenham a first away win in the Champions League. [LNB]Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: 'That's how we are. We score goals, we let goals in. We score more goals, we let more goals. It's a great achievement for the players to finish top of a group I thought was the most difficult of the lot. [LNB] Enlarge The only way is up: Jermain Defoe celebrates his second goal - and Tottenham's third - with team-mate Wilson Palacios [LNB] [LNB] 'We've got a good squad and we can cause anybody problems. I'm not saying we are going to win the ChampionsLeague but whoever we draw it will be an interesting game and we've gotevery chance. It's a massive bonus to finish top.' [LNB]Tottenham have invigorated this season's competition with their attacking football. Redknapp's side havescored 18 goals in the group stage, more than any other debutant in theChampions League. [LNB] Jeepers keepers: Boschker kicks air, just like Paul Robinson for England against Croatia in 2006[LNB]MATCH FACTS FC TWENTE (4-3-3): Boschker 4; Rosales 6, Wisgerhof 5, Douglas 6, Tiendalli 6; Brama 6, Landzaat 7, Janssen 6; de Jong 5, Janko (Vujicevic 73min, 6), Chadli 6.Subs not used: Mihaylov, Bengtsson,Parker, Buysse, Leugers, John.[LNB]TOTTENHAM 4-4-1-1): Gomes 6;Corluka 6, Gallas 6, Bassong 6, Assou-Ekotto 5; Kranjcar 5 (Crouch 86), Palacios 6, Jenas 5 (Lennon 34, 7), Bale 7; Pavlyuchenko 6 (Keane 73, 6); Defoe 8. Subs not used: Cudicini, Hutton, Keane, Dos Santos, Dawson. Booked: Jenas.[LNB]Man of the match: Jermain DefoeReferee: Carlos Velasco (Spain) 6. [LNB]The previous best of 15 was set by Juventus in 1995-96 and the Italian side went on to lift the trophy. Redknapp's approach does not lend itself to clean sheets - just three this season - but it is wonderfully easy on the eye. [LNB]It is also, arguably, a formula idealfor the drama of knockout football come February - even if the memoriesof going 3-0 down to Young Boys and 4-0 behind against Inter Milan do little for Spurs fans' heart rates. [LNB]'You can't have it all ways,' said Redknapp. [LNB]'We've scored more goals than anybody. If you want us to shut up shop we can do that. But we don't. Wecome out and have a go.' [LNB]Wout Brama tested Heurelho Gomes witha 20-yard strike after just four minutes, drawing a fine save from the goalkeeper, but Tottenham had plenty of space to exploit down the flanks. [LNB]Yet the opening goal, in the 12th minute, needed neither ingenuity nor flair from the visitors. [LNB]It was alldown to Boschker, in his 21st season at the club but making his Champions League debut despite being ever-present in his side's run to the Dutch title under Steve McClaren last season. Boschker misjudged Wisgerhof's backpass, taking an ill-timed swipe at the ball and watchingit dribble into the net. [LNB]One to forget: FC Twente goalkeeper Sander Boschker is crestfallen after his own goal gaffe - on his Champions League debut at 40 - gifted Spurs the lead[LNB] [LNB]The hosts were level 10 minutes later. A powerful drive from Roberto Rosales hit Benoit Assou-Ekotto's raised arm and Spanish referee Carlos Velasco judged it to be handball, pointing straight to the spot. Denny Landzaat beat Gomes at the second time of asking. [LNB]Jermaine Jenas then received a needless yellow card that will force him to miss Tottenham's next European outing. The midfielder, who has been struggling with a calf injury, sat down on the pitch on his way to the dug-out and then refusedto leave the pitch on a stretcher. [LNB]Jenas is unlikely to feature on Sunday against Chelsea although Luka Modric, who was absent last night with flu, should return. [LNB] Spot on: Former Wigan midfielder Denny Landzaat squeezed his penalty past goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes at the second time of asking to score the hosts' first equaliser[LNB] [LNB]Aaron Lennon was introduced on the right wing, with Niko Kranjcar moving inside to partner Wilson Palacios in the centre, but the visitors' best first-half chances came from the irrepressible Gareth Bale. [LNB]The 21-year-old has this week credited Redknapp with toughening him up and Bale was not one of the eight Spurs players sporting gloves in the biting cold of Enschede. [LNB]But his left foot produced two inviting first-half crosses for Defoe, the second of which the England striker just failed to flick on target. [LNB]Bale was at it again two minutes intothe second half, pinging a wonderful cross into the box that the home side failed to clear. [LNB] Walking away: Injured Jermaine Jenas was forced off in the first half[LNB] [LNB]A reverse pass from Lennon found Defoe lurking in the box and the forward struck from 10 yards to score his first club goal since August. For all the deserved plaudits directedat Bale in recent weeks, it was Lennon's fourth assist in his last fourChampions League matches. [LNB]With news of Werder Bremen leading Inter Milan flashing up on the big screen, Spurs' progression as group winners looked assured and the visitors appeared to relax. But, for all their flair, this is something Tottenham can never afford to do. [LNB] On the mark: England striker Defoe was back to his clinical best with a brace in Holland[LNB] [LNB]Sure enough, Rosales pounced with a 56th minute equaliser, heading Theo Janssen's cross past Gomes. [LNB]Yet the flip side of this Spurs team,for all their defensive frailties, is that you always feel they can score another goal. Defoe duly obliged with his second of the evening. [LNB] Crowded out: Tottenham's defence do well to deny FC Twente's third goalscorer Nacer Chadli on goal[LNB] [LNB] Palacios dispossessed Janssen before storming down the left wing, cutting infield and forcing a save from Boschker. [LNB]But the goalkeeper could only palm the Honduran's shot into the path of Defoe, who stroked the ball into the right-hand corner. [LNB]That leaky Spurs defence crumbled again just three minutes later. Kranjcar conceded a silly free-kick on the edge of the area and Nacer Chadli capitalised with an excellent 25-yard set piece. [LNB] FC Twente 3 Tottenham 3: How the Champions League action unfoldedBale reaping rewards for patience after being told to toughen up by RedknappVan Bommel's agent lines up Holland veteran with move to City or SpursTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC
