Europa Conference League defeat as big-name Tottenham signings suffer
A toothless Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Pacos de Ferreira in their Europa Conference League play-off first leg in Portugal on Thursday night.
Missing the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, Spurs were well below their best and managed zero efforts on target.
Indeed, Nuno Espirito Santo made 11 changes to his side which beat Manchester City in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
And they were made to pay as an inexperienced side put in a lame display.
Tottenham handed a full debut to 17-year-old Dane Scarlett at the Capital do Móvel Municipal Stadium.
There were full debuts for new signings Pierluigi Gollini, Cristian Romero and Bryan Gil. Meanwhile, while 18-year-old Nile John was also handed a full debut.
Ryan Sessegnon made his first Spurs appearance since March 2020, having spent last season on loan at Hoffenheim.
Lucas Silva nets decisive goal
Pacos took the lead on the stroke of half-time as they caught Spurs cold.
The Portuguese side won the ball in midfield and Nuno Santos slipped Lucas Silva in on goal. He then produced a cool finish into the bottom corner.
Spurs brought on Jack Clarke at half-time but he too struggled to make an impact.
Gil, after some early first-half promise, faded and didn’t make an impact . Indeed, Spurs were troubling to create any meaningful chances as the hosts comfortably dealt with all thrown at them.
The visitors dominated possession but largely failed to use the ball well. Indeed, many passes went astray in a really disjointed performance.
Indeed, rather than give Nuno some selection headaches for the weekend, it probably makes his job of picking a side to face Wolves all the easier.
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