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Harry Kane has shown his renewed commitment to his club’s cause by scoring twice in his first start of the season. The move to the group stages of the Europa Conference League, which Giovani Lo Celso secured by scoring a third goal, may not be the height of Spurs’ ambitions, but Kane’s role in a team performance. catchy raised the mood music around Tottenham.
A day after promising Spurs his immediate future, and perhaps while trying to block out envious thoughts about the Champions League group stage draw, Kane made his first start of the season – in the third level club competition in Europe.
Entrusted to the captain’s armband after putting aside his penchant for Manchester City, he represented the ultimate improvement available to Spurs’ attack following last week’s 1-0 loss in the first leg. Lucas Moura also proved to be a dynamic addition to a roster which included eight of the players who started this loss.
Spurs fans cheered on Kane on the pitch and Cristian Romero, who put in an accomplished performance in central defense, offered him a chance to crank up the volume within 20 seconds of kick-off. But after fending off the defender’s splendid diagonal pass, Kane aimed his shot wide as goalkeeper André Ferreira closed it. It only delayed the almost inevitable.
Kane opened the scoring for the dominant hosts in the ninth minute. Harry Winks was the instigator, personifying the host’s vigor as he slipped to win the ball in midfield and then released Bryan Gil to the left. From the signing, the impressive Spaniard chose Kane, who took a touch to control the ball before pushing it past Ferreira at seven meters.
With Gil and Moura incisive on the flanks and Winks and Lo Celso progressive in midfield behind Kane, who alternated between deep fall and headliner, the Spurs threatened to overwhelm their opponents. They were aggressive, intelligent and sharp. Lo Celso dodged two defenders into the box in the 17th minute and sent the ball rolling to the back post, where Ryan Sessegnon attempted to help him into the net but couldn’t touch it.
Gil hit the post with a deflected shot from the edge of the box just past the half hour mark, and it looked like it was only a matter of time before Spurs took the overall advantage. Very soon it turned out that Kane scored his second in the 34th minute, entering the net from 10 yards after a shot blocked by Lo Celso.
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Celtic reached the group stage of the Europa League after beating AZ Alkmaar 3-2 overall in their qualifying play-off after a 2-1 loss in the second leg to Holland. Kyogo Furuhashi put Celtic 3-0 on aggregate with just over two minutes left in the Netherlands, but Joe Hart was penalized for hesitation three minutes later as the hosts equalized on the night. Carl Starfelt crossed his own net without pressure in the 26th minute to put AZ 2-1, but Celtic eventually survived a tough encounter to advance to the next stage of the competition.
Covid-hit Rangers did a big job of a scoreless rematch against 10 men Alashkert because they also qualified for the group stage of the Europa League. Alfredo Morelos missed a great hat-trick to add to his lone strike in the first leg, but Robby McCrorie kept his clean sheet in his first start for the Rangers to see them enter the group stage for a fourth consecutive season.
Aberdeen hopes of qualifying for the Europa League group stage came to an end on a disappointing night as they suffered a 3-1 loss to Qarabag in the return leg of their qualifying play-off. Led 1-0 in the opener against the Azerbaijani club, the Dons’ task was made even more difficult by an early strike from Tural Bayramov. Kady Borges and Abdellah Zoubir then added new goals to accumulate misery, with Lewis Ferguson’s time-out penalty barely more than consolation as Aberdeen were beaten 4-1 on aggregate.
Paços, who sits 12th in the Portuguese league, was technically adept but struggled to match Spurs’ energy and quality. They approached the second half in the same way as the first, remaining compact while looking for opportunities to break. But the Spurs had no intention of softening. Lo Celso curled a free kick a few inches wide in the 50th minute.
After that, the Paços became more daring, their threat cues reminding Spurs that the lead was precarious. Lo Celso should have secured him but scuffed his shot after a high class serve from Matt Doherty. Then Gil drilled wide after another slippery movement. Lo Celso ultimately secured the win with unwitting help from Vitorino Antunes, who helped shoot the Argentine’s free kick from the right into his own goal.
Then Nuno Espírito Santo pulled Kane out to save him for this Sunday and – perhaps – his first league start of the season. “He did a good job,” Nuno said. “He’s improving. He had his chances and scored and that’s the best help he can give to the team. We are happy to be able to count on Harry.
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