Tottenham Hotspur against Internazionale

Lots of pained, nervous fans in the stands. Just five more minutes to see through.

Tottenham are retreating deeper and deeper to play on the break now. Inter with all of the ball.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Lucio is having a big moan up abaout a throw in and gets booked for his trouble.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Lennon is coming off after a good shift and Palacios is coming on to shore things up.

Bale charges past Nwankwo. Inter panic whenever he gets the ball.

Now Coutinho wants a penalty after Kaboul fends him off in the area. Never a foul.

Eto'o has another chance to shoot inside the box but Gallas' block takes the pace off the ball and Cudicini catches.

That was a pretty large sign of an Inter comeback. Can they complete the job?

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Eto'o makes room just on the edge of the box and fires a superb shot low into the corner. Great finish.

Not much sign of an Inter comeback yet.

Bale does Maicon yet again. Get the Brazilian off, he's having a nightmare.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Crouch makes way and milks the applause before Pavlyuchenko comes on.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Jenas is carded for diving when he beat Samuel to the ball. There was no contact at all.

Milito nearly scored with his first touch after latching onto Eto'o's flick but his shot was always heading wide from a narrow angle.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Pandev makes way for Milito.

Eto'o cuts inside and fires in a low shot but Cudicini is across to save.

Diego Milito is preparing to come on.

Tottenham retreat a little and Inter dominate possession but they can't find any gaps.

The camera cuts to two Inter fans having a debate in the stands. Benitez will get panned if they lose this game and perhaps rightly so. Why hasn't he offered Maicon more protection against Bale?

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Biabiany trots off and Coutinho is on.

Bale gets round Maicon again and rolls it across for Crouch to tap in but the ball had just gone out of play. The correct call.

Half chance for Inter as Eto'o feeds Biabiany but his shot is right at Cudicini.

Gareth Bale, take a bow. What a night he has had and what a ball that was. He ran fully 50 yards down the left before picking out a perfect cross that even Crouch couldn't fail to convert. Inter are rocking.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Bale marauds down the left again and Crouch taps home his cross! Dreamland!

Tottenham need to capitalise on this good spell. As they break from an Inter attack, Lennon is briefly two on two before he chooses the wrong option and is penalised for handball as it bounces up off Zanetti.

Great work from Spurs as Lennon crosses early and Gallas, who had stayed up from the corner, meets it at the near post but can't direct it goalwards.

The predicted Inter onslaught is yet to materialise. Zanetti now brings down Assou-Ekotto on the right.

A lovely flowing move from Spurs as Bale releases Jenas, he feeds Hutton and Crouch forces Castellazzi into a save with his looping header.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Obiora Nwankwo is on for his Inter debut and replaces Muntari. He's 19 and from Nigeria. That's all I can offer you I'm afraid.

So nearly 2-0! Castellazzi comes for the free kick and can only punch it to Bale, he hooks it over his head and the ball lands just the wrong side of the post with the 'keeper stranded.

Muntari is feeling his calf and needs the trainer on. Looks like Obiora Nwankwo is coming on. Yes, who?

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Chivu is booked for leabing into Lennon as the winger's touch wrongfooted him.

An Inter corner falls to Maicon outside the box but his effort is way over the bar and into the stands.

The crowd howl at Samuel as he lunges in to clear the ball from Bale's feet. It was ugly but he didn't make contact.

Lennon's cross finds Crouch and he tries an acrobatic effort but the ball falls to Bale before Lucio hacks away.

<b>KICK OFF</b> We begin again...

We're back for the second half but Van der Vaart has had to go off and Jenas has replaced him. A recurrence of his hamstring injury we are told. A doubt for Saturday now, surely.

<b>HALF TIME</b> Inter with a strong end to the half as Hutton concedes a corner but Spurs endure a session of pinball and clear.

One minute added...

So nearly a great chance for number two as Van der Vaart's cross looks like it will fall for Lennon but Samuel does really well to intervene.

Sneijder's effort flies over the wall and is seeking out the top corner but Cudicini pushes it clear. Decent save.

Biabiany turns beautifully on the edge of the box and is just about to shoot when Modric clips him. Free kick just outside the box and central. Chance.

Bale crosses well, Crouch knocks down to Van der Vaart and he teed up Huddlestone but for once, the midfielder mis-hits his shot.

Spurs get a lilttle lucky there as Sneijder's free kick bobbles up off Samuel and lands nicely for Cudicini.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Hutton is carded now for a lunge on the left wing.

Van der Vaart's fine pass finds Hutton in huge space on the right. He elects to cross rather than take on Chivu and shanks it into the crowd.

Sneijder has another pot shot at goal after Pandev had worked some space on the left. He's been a bit too greedy this half for my liking. Cudicini is behind it.

Van der Vaart's effort flicks the wall and drops just wide. Corner, which Castellazzi claims under pressure.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Samuel gets a yellow card for chopping down Lennon in full flight. Cynical.

Great pressing from Spurs as Inter are forced back to their keeper. Can they sustain this tempo for the full 90 minutes though?

Now Eto'o and Sneijder swap passes but Kaboul is in the right place to cut out the final ball.

Crouch nods down to Bale but his shot is blocked by Samuel.

Bale is in acres of space on the left and cuts in but his right foot shot is wayward.

Now a spell of Inter pressure that ends with Lucio's shot being deflected wide for a corner.

Biabiany tries to latch onto Eto'o's ball but Cudicini comes out, then as Spurs break Lennon gets to the byline but his cross is cleared by Lucio.

Samuel finds a slice of spce and has a crack from 30 yards but its gone high and wide. Poor.

The game has got very scrappy since Tottenham's goal.

Chance! Bale gets past Maicon again and crosses and from an angle, Crouch has blasted his volley well wide from six yards out. Oh dear me.

Sneijder goes down as he got into the box but Gallas had crowded him out extremely well.

Chivu is back on but looks uncomfortable.

Bale is giving Maicon a torrid time down the left. What a player.

Chivu is down after a bump on the head as Lennon went for a cross. He looks ok but he wears a protective headguard these days after a nasty injury a few months back so the medical staff are taking no chances.

By this time in the San Siro Spurs were 3-0 down and the game was almost over. Its game on now though.

Inter look to hit back immediately and Assou-Ekotto does well to hold off Biabiany as he charged through the middle.

That's six goals in ten for the Dutchman now. It was a silky run from Modric and a cute ball, Van der Vaart stayed just onside before smashing the ball past Castellazzi.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Great work from Modric and a quality finish from Van der Vaart!

Crouch again wins a header and Van der Vaart then finds Lennon. Spurs have numbers in the box but Samuel clears the ball in.

Crouch wins another header in the box but can't direct it towards a team mate. Promising for Spurs that he is winning them though.

Unusually poor cross from Van der Vaart and the ball rolls out of play harmlessly.

Bale is on fire again here, stretching Maicon to the touchline and winning a corner.

A nice move from Inter as Maicon feeds Eto'o, who wants a one two with Biabiany but as the ball comes back its a heavy touch from the Cameroonian and Cudicini claims.

Bale nips round Maicon but his cross is at Castelazzi. Lovely footwork to get past his man though.

Muntari tries a shot from 40 yards and hits it right at Huddlestone's head.

A cracking run from Modric but he tries an ambitious effort with his left instead of feeding Bale. A good opening wasted.

Assou-Ekotto's cross is met by Crouch but he can't find Van der Vaart. A decent start from the home side though.

Eto'o makes space for himself and blasts a shot narrowly wide with Cudicini well beaten. It just clipped the side-netting.

A lovely one two between Lennon and Huddlestone is cleared for a corner by Samuel, then a succession of crosses are cleared by Inter.

Van der Vaart is flagged offside. There's a good tempo to the game already.

Inter's first break sees Sniejder cut in and drag a weak shot well wide of the target.

Van der Vaart gets on the ball and finds Assou-Ekotto and Muntari concedes a corner.

Bale tries to run at Maicon but the full back watches the ball out of play. Then they shake hands for some reason.

<b>We're off...</b>

The teams are out and there is an expectant atmosphere at White Hart Lane. Its been years since they hosted European heavyweights like Inter.

Stat attack: Rafael Benitez's first Premier League game with Liverpool was a 1-1 draw at Tottenham in August 2004. He has a record of 3 wins in 8 visits to White Hart Lane but but lost all three games after Redknapp took charge.

So, Inter can qualify with a win this evening, while a Tottenham victory would put them in a very strong position too, level with their opponents on seven points. The other game in the group sees Werder host Twente. They are both on two points currently.

The match will start on time, despite there being very few people in the ground yet. I bet there is plenty of blue language flying about on packed, crawling buses in north London at the minute.

There was a suggestion that kick off may have been delayed by 15 minutes due to a tube strike in London but we've heard nothing more on that front so we still expect proceedings to start in ten minutes or so.

Inter Milan: Castellazzi, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Muntari, Zanetti, Biabiany, Sneijder, Pandev, Eto'o. Subs: Orlandoni, Cordoba, Milito, Materazzi, Coutinho, Santon, Nwankwo.

Tottenham: Cudicini, Hutton, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Crouch. Subs: Pletikosa, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Palacios, Bassong, O'Hara.

Good evening one and all and welcome to part II of Tottenham's tussle with Inter Milan. Gareth Bale's hat-trick two weeks ago in the San Siro not only restored some Spurs pride, but also gave them belief that they can rattle the European champions. One thing is for sure, they'll give it a good go.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2010/1020/garethbalematchballvinter20101020_275x155.jpg"><br>Can Bale be the star again?

Join us at 1945 GMT for commentary from White Hart Lane as Spurs take on Inter Milan.

Eto'o cuts inside and fires in a low shot but Cudicini is across to save.

Diego Milito is preparing to come on.

Tottenham retreat a little and Inter dominate possession but they can't find any gaps.

The camera cuts to two Inter fans having a debate in the stands. Benitez will get panned if they lose this game and perhaps rightly so. Why hasn't he offered Maicon more protection against Bale?

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Biabiany trots off and Coutinho is on.

Bale gets round Maicon again and rolls it across for Crouch to tap in but the ball had just gone out of play. The correct call.

Half chance for Inter as Eto'o feeds Biabiany but his shot is right at Cudicini.

Gareth Bale, take a bow. What a night he has had and what a ball that was. He ran fully 50 yards down the left before picking out a perfect cross that even Crouch couldn't fail to convert. Inter are rocking.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Bale marauds down the left again and Crouch taps home his cross! Dreamland!

Tottenham need to capitalise on this good spell. As they break from an Inter attack, Lennon is briefly two on two before he chooses the wrong option and is penalised for handball as it bounces up off Zanetti.

Great work from Spurs as Lennon crosses early and Gallas, who had stayed up from the corner, meets it at the near post but can't direct it goalwards.

The predicted Inter onslaught is yet to materialise. Zanetti now brings down Assou-Ekotto on the right.

A lovely flowing move from Spurs as Bale releases Jenas, he feeds Hutton and Crouch forces Castellazzi into a save with his looping header.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Obiora Nwankwo is on for his Inter debut and replaces Muntari. He's 19 and from Nigeria. That's all I can offer you I'm afraid.

So nearly 2-0! Castellazzi comes for the free kick and can only punch it to Bale, he hooks it over his head and the ball lands just the wrong side of the post with the 'keeper stranded.

Muntari is feeling his calf and needs the trainer on. Looks like Obiora Nwankwo is coming on. Yes, who?

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Chivu is booked for leabing into Lennon as the winger's touch wrongfooted him.

An Inter corner falls to Maicon outside the box but his effort is way over the bar and into the stands.

The crowd howl at Samuel as he lunges in to clear the ball from Bale's feet. It was ugly but he didn't make contact.

Lennon's cross finds Crouch and he tries an acrobatic effort but the ball falls to Bale before Lucio hacks away.

<b>KICK OFF</b> We begin again...

We're back for the second half but Van der Vaart has had to go off and Jenas has replaced him. A recurrence of his hamstring injury we are told. A doubt for Saturday now, surely.

<b>HALF TIME</b> Inter with a strong end to the half as Hutton concedes a corner but Spurs endure a session of pinball and clear.

One minute added...

So nearly a great chance for number two as Van der Vaart's cross looks like it will fall for Lennon but Samuel does really well to intervene.

Sneijder's effort flies over the wall and is seeking out the top corner but Cudicini pushes it clear. Decent save.

Biabiany turns beautifully on the edge of the box and is just about to shoot when Modric clips him. Free kick just outside the box and central. Chance.

Bale crosses well, Crouch knocks down to Van der Vaart and he teed up Huddlestone but for once, the midfielder mis-hits his shot.

Spurs get a lilttle lucky there as Sneijder's free kick bobbles up off Samuel and lands nicely for Cudicini.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Hutton is carded now for a lunge on the left wing.

Van der Vaart's fine pass finds Hutton in huge space on the right. He elects to cross rather than take on Chivu and shanks it into the crowd.

Sneijder has another pot shot at goal after Pandev had worked some space on the left. He's been a bit too greedy this half for my liking. Cudicini is behind it.

Van der Vaart's effort flicks the wall and drops just wide. Corner, which Castellazzi claims under pressure.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Samuel gets a yellow card for chopping down Lennon in full flight. Cynical.

Great pressing from Spurs as Inter are forced back to their keeper. Can they sustain this tempo for the full 90 minutes though?

Now Eto'o and Sneijder swap passes but Kaboul is in the right place to cut out the final ball.

Crouch nods down to Bale but his shot is blocked by Samuel.

Bale is in acres of space on the left and cuts in but his right foot shot is wayward.

Now a spell of Inter pressure that ends with Lucio's shot being deflected wide for a corner.

Biabiany tries to latch onto Eto'o's ball but Cudicini comes out, then as Spurs break Lennon gets to the byline but his cross is cleared by Lucio.

Samuel finds a slice of spce and has a crack from 30 yards but its gone high and wide. Poor.

The game has got very scrappy since Tottenham's goal.

Chance! Bale gets past Maicon again and crosses and from an angle, Crouch has blasted his volley well wide from six yards out. Oh dear me.

Sneijder goes down as he got into the box but Gallas had crowded him out extremely well.

Chivu is back on but looks uncomfortable.

Bale is giving Maicon a torrid time down the left. What a player.

Chivu is down after a bump on the head as Lennon went for a cross. He looks ok but he wears a protective headguard these days after a nasty injury a few months back so the medical staff are taking no chances.

By this time in the San Siro Spurs were 3-0 down and the game was almost over. Its game on now though.

Inter look to hit back immediately and Assou-Ekotto does well to hold off Biabiany as he charged through the middle.

That's six goals in ten for the Dutchman now. It was a silky run from Modric and a cute ball, Van der Vaart stayed just onside before smashing the ball past Castellazzi.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Great work from Modric and a quality finish from Van der Vaart!

Crouch again wins a header and Van der Vaart then finds Lennon. Spurs have numbers in the box but Samuel clears the ball in.

Crouch wins another header in the box but can't direct it towards a team mate. Promising for Spurs that he is winning them though.

Unusually poor cross from Van der Vaart and the ball rolls out of play harmlessly.

Bale is on fire again here, stretching Maicon to the touchline and winning a corner.

A nice move from Inter as Maicon feeds Eto'o, who wants a one two with Biabiany but as the ball comes back its a heavy touch from the Cameroonian and Cudicini claims.

Bale nips round Maicon but his cross is at Castelazzi. Lovely footwork to get past his man though.

Muntari tries a shot from 40 yards and hits it right at Huddlestone's head.

A cracking run from Modric but he tries an ambitious effort with his left instead of feeding Bale. A good opening wasted.

Assou-Ekotto's cross is met by Crouch but he can't find Van der Vaart. A decent start from the home side though.

Eto'o makes space for himself and blasts a shot narrowly wide with Cudicini well beaten. It just clipped the side-netting.

A lovely one two between Lennon and Huddlestone is cleared for a corner by Samuel, then a succession of crosses are cleared by Inter.

Van der Vaart is flagged offside. There's a good tempo to the game already.

Inter's first break sees Sniejder cut in and drag a weak shot well wide of the target.

Van der Vaart gets on the ball and finds Assou-Ekotto and Muntari concedes a corner.

Bale tries to run at Maicon but the full back watches the ball out of play. Then they shake hands for some reason.

<b>We're off...</b>

The teams are out and there is an expectant atmosphere at White Hart Lane. Its been years since they hosted European heavyweights like Inter.

Stat attack: Rafael Benitez's first Premier League game with Liverpool was a 1-1 draw at Tottenham in August 2004. He has a record of 3 wins in 8 visits to White Hart Lane but but lost all three games after Redknapp took charge.

So, Inter can qualify with a win this evening, while a Tottenham victory would put them in a very strong position too, level with their opponents on seven points. The other game in the group sees Werder host Twente. They are both on two points currently.

The match will start on time, despite there being very few people in the ground yet. I bet there is plenty of blue language flying about on packed, crawling buses in north London at the minute.

There was a suggestion that kick off may have been delayed by 15 minutes due to a tube strike in London but we've heard nothing more on that front so we still expect proceedings to start in ten minutes or so.

Inter Milan: Castellazzi, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Muntari, Zanetti, Biabiany, Sneijder, Pandev, Eto'o. Subs: Orlandoni, Cordoba, Milito, Materazzi, Coutinho, Santon, Nwankwo.

Tottenham: Cudicini, Hutton, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Crouch. Subs: Pletikosa, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Palacios, Bassong, O'Hara.

Good evening one and all and welcome to part II of Tottenham's tussle with Inter Milan. Gareth Bale's hat-trick two weeks ago in the San Siro not only restored some Spurs pride, but also gave them belief that they can rattle the European champions. One thing is for sure, they'll give it a good go.

<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2010/1020/garethbalematchballvinter20101020_275x155.jpg"><br>Can Bale be the star again?

Join us at 1945 GMT for commentary from White Hart Lane as Spurs take on Inter Milan.