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Tottenham Hotspur won't have to sweat whether or not they'll be playing in the Europa League group stage this season. They absolutely crushed Dinamo Tbilisi 5-0 in Georgia and will now be able to play a youth team in the second leg of their playoff at White Hart Lane if they are so inclined.
Andros Townsend, who was the clear man of the match for Spurs, scored the opener in impressive fashion with a great individual effort. After Gylfi Sigurdsson cleared a Dinamo corner away, in the 12th minute, Kyle Naughton won the ball at the top of the penalty area and found Townsend just short of the halfway line. The Spurs winger went on to take the ball 40 yards by himself before unleashing a low drive from 20 yards that beat the Dinamo keeper easily.
The hosts had a few nice moments between then and the end of the half -- Hugo Lloris had to make one brilliant save in the 25th minute -- but the gap in quality between the teams was obvious. Just before the halftime whistle, Spurs extended their lead. Naughton started the move again, playing an exchange with Townsend down the right flank. Townsend beat his defender with a cutback move and crossed into the center of the box where Paulinho, unmarked, headed in an easy goal.
Trailing 2-0, Dinamo had to start taking more risks going forward, something that didn't end well for them. Townsend found Roberto Soldado for a neat close-range finish in the 58th minute and Danny Rose scored for the first time in a Spurs shirt since his Premier League debut with an absolute blast from 20 yards in the 64th minute. Soldado finished off the scoring in the 67th, nodding in a cross by substitute Nacer Chadli.
Notes:
- Holy crap, Andros. I knew you were good, but wow. Dinamo Tbilisi aren't exactly a top-notch team, but his performance was just astonishingly good.
- It was very nice to see Bobby Soldier get on the board twice.
- Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose were very impressive. Obviously Rose's goal was a highlight, but he was good for the entire game, in every aspect. Naughton was huge in setting up a couple of the goals.
- YOUNES WENT 90 AND DIDN'T LOOK HURT AT ALL WHEEEEEEE.
- I'm happy we got some first team minutes for Hurrikane and the fahkin legendary Tawwmy Carroll.
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