TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — Jose Mourinho said it was “amazing to have Dele back at this level” after his wonder goal as Tottenham beat Wolfsberg 4-0 (8-1 on aggregate) to reach the last-16 of the Europa League.
If Spurs playing on a Wednesday felt like some kind of throwback to the pre- Mourinho era, it was fitting that it was Alli who rediscovered his magic in front of goal to restore the faltering mood around north London after a run of six defeats in eight games.
Winning the Europa League might well be Mourinho’s best hope of qualifying for the Champions League and avoiding Thursday night football more regularly, but at the very least it has provided a stage for those who might otherwise be sidelined altogether.
Dele, one of Tottenham’s great performers when on song, passed his audition by creating a stunning strike at the end of Matt Doherty’s cross. In ordinary times, this downtrodden entertainer might have been given a standing ovation when, 10 minutes in, one nonchalant touch facing away from goal preceded an extraordinary overhead kick – it surpassed even Olivier Giroud’s spectacular effort for Chelsea against Atletico Madrid.
The 24-year-old later set up Carlos Vinicius with a searching cross from the left which the Brazilian rose high to bury into the net. That ought to have been their second link-up of the evening following Dele’s audacious pass with the outside of the boot which Vinicius was unable to reach.
There is rarely such a thing as a perfect Dele display, a reality Mourinho might be better off accepting. A stray touch here, a couple of moments when he was muscled off the ball. Highlights reels of any player are misleading, but particularly those who can produce moments of inspiration and frustration in equal measure.
“He played very well, in every aspect of the game”, Mourinho added. “Of course, he’s not fresh, of course you can feel his performance, like in the first leg after 55, 60 minutes is going to go down. Because of the circumstances, injured, not training…”
Even when some of his passes did not come off, there were no outbursts from his manager, who remains under pressure in spite of Tottenham’s impressive European form. Spurs have reached the last-16 by scoring 35 goals – just two fewer than their Premier League tally for the campaign – and conceding just 10.
Mourinho might like more of those to have come from Steven Bergwijn, who is still yet to score this season. The Dutchman’s confidence appears so low that he was repeatedly singled out for praise from the sidelines: “Well done, Stevie. Good decision to shoot, Stevie.”
Bergwijn was eventually replaced by Lucas Moura with just over 20 minutes to go, the point at which Gareth Bale was also introduced in place of Erik Lamela.
Within minutes, the Welshman had conjured up a sizzling finish, again assisted by Dele, in the latest hint that he is somewhere back closer to his best. In the defeats to Manchester City and West Ham, Bale came close to a breakthrough, but was denied by fate and the crossbar.
Both Dele and Bale still find themselves in a peculiar Catch-22 of finding their best opportunities handed to them in the cup competitions, but against sides whose calibre prevents Mourinho from being too impressed. “With respect our potential is different to their potential,” he reminded.
There were also debuts for Marcel Lavinier and Nile John, but it was Dane Scarlett – the 16-year-old who is slowly being introduced into the senior set-up – who created the fourth goal, winning the ball with muscle on the edge of the box before Vinicius converted with power.
Spurs have relied on Europe for respite through what has otherwise been a turbulent first half of the season, but they continue to dominate and live up to Mourinho’s promise that they could yet go all the way.
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