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Son Heung-min scores as Tottenham manage valuable away win at CSKA Moscow

(Reuters)
(Reuters)

It took a single second-half goal from Son Heung-min to earn Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 away win at CSKA Moscow, as the Premier League side claimed its first points in this season’s Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

The meeting was the first Champions League encounter to take place at the home side’s new Arena CSKA stadium and was also the first time the Moscow outfit and Spurs had ever faced one another.

While Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino had received good news regarding the prognosis for Harry Kane, the striker was one of five first-team regulars unavailable for selection Tuesday, with Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Moussa Sissoko also sidelined by injury. Thus, it was a bit of a makeshift side that took to the field in Moscow.

Despite dominating possession early on, Spurs managed little by way of genuine attacking threat and failed to register a single shot on target in the first half.

With Kane out, Vincent Janssen was handed the start at striker. The former AZ Alkmaar man found himself on the end of a couple of chances early on, only to have the ref blow the offside whistle on him in both instances. At one point, Janssen actually succeeded in putting the ball into the back of the CSKA net, only to be whistled offside yet again.

Tottenham’s best chance in the first half came in the 35th minute when a scrambled clearance by the CSKA defense opened up a chance for Dele Alli. But the PFA Young Player of the Year rocketed his effort off the crossbar from 20 yards out.

For most of the first half, CSKA was content to dig in, let Spurs enjoy possession and try to hit on the counter. The Russian side eventually seemed to come to life on or around the half hour when the ball fell to Zoran Tosic on the edge of the box. But despite having time and space to pick a shot, the winger sent his effort sailing over the top left corner.

Two minutes later, Roman Eremenko took a speculative right-footed crack from outside the box that forced Hugo Lloris into his only significant action of the half. Eremenko was shown a yellow card a few minutes later after putting in a pair of reckless challenges on Alli.

Toby Alderweireld then came close for Spurs, connecting with a ball in from Erik Lamela. But the Belgian directed his headed effort right at keeper Igor Akinfeev with the whistle again being blown for offside.

The final chance of the half fell to Alli, who got onto the end of a dangerous ball from Christian Eriksen only to head his effort over the crossbar with two minutes remaining in the half.

The second half began with a substitution by the home side as defender Aleksie Berezutski took the place of his twin brother Vasili. Tottenham continued its dominance from the first half with Son coming close with a curled effort just 10 minutes in and Janssen putting a shot wide some five minutes later.

The misfiring Janssen would eventually be subbed off for Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

CSKA very nearly opened the scoring in the 52nd minute thanks to Lacina Traore. He a penetrating run and put in some good hold-up play to square the ball for Tosic, but his effort was deflected over.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 71st minute as Son ran onto a through ball from Lamela and let off a low shot from inside the box. Akinfeev managed to get a hand to it but only succeeded in slowing the ball down as it rolled into the bottom right corner to give Spurs a 1-0 lead.

Eremenko came close to equalizing for CSKA some 10 minutes later, letting off another shot from distance and again forcing Lloris into action.

(AP)
(AP)

Despite a few good chances early on, it was something of a frustrating night for Alli. The England attacker was eventually subbed off to make way for Harry Winks in the 80th minute.

As the match ticked into its final 10-minute stretch, both Bibras Natchos and Mario Fernandes came close to equalizing for the home side, while Nkoudou and Lamela came closest to adding to Tottenham’s tally.

CSKA had shown resilience in its Champions League opener, coming from two goals down to draw Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena. But the Russian side ultimately failed to manage a similar turnaround in front of its home crowd and, as a result, finds itself languishing at the bottom of Group E.

Tottenham, on the other hand, will be pleased to have rebounded from losing its opener at Wembley against Monaco to earn a valuable away win that sees the North London side climb to second place in the group.