Another corner for AZ now… taken short, they go from left to right and then back to the left, and it ends with a mad scramble at Vicario’s near post! Somehow the ball doesn’t go in but about two or three or four different players had a crack there and it was only through a couple of Spurs players putting their bodies on the line that they were able to keep it out.
Half-time is approaching. I anticipate a fair old bake from Ange Postecoglou.
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 44 minutes
A decent spell of prolonged front-half possession for Spurs ends with Brennan Johnson taking a pop with his non-preferred left foot. It sails just over the crossbar - but that was much more like it from Tottenham, albeit a little bit more polish is needed to take advantage of situations like that against a team like AZ, who have a lead to defend and will be happy to sit back and frustrate now.
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 40 minutes
Now here’s a free kick for Tottenham after Maddison drew a foul on the edge of their penalty area, just to the left - great territory for a direct shot, and no doubt he and Son Heung-min will be licking their lips at this opportunity.
Maddison has won out over the captain. He will take it… he plays it short to Son, who plays it back, they mess it up, and they just got that horribly wrong. Ends up with the ball in the goalie’s grasp.
That says it all.
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 34 minutes
...another near-miss for Spurs. It started with them on the ball and Son taking a shot that was blocked and spun out to the flank. AZ recovered it then drove through the middle of the pitch through the substitute Kasius, who then played in Troy Parrott, who was one-on-one with Vicario… and he, fortunately, saved the day.
The resultant corner ended in nothing, but that was way too easy. Alarm bells ringing for Tottenham right now, they are too passive in all facets of the game right now.
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 32 minutes
Oh no.
The first corner kick of the game has ended up in Tottenham’s net, from their own boot!
The set piece was floated into the far post, played forward by Parrott - Lucas Bergvall tried to clear it but instead sliced it high and despite the best efforts of Spence and Vicario, it flew in!
They’re down, and frankly, they deserve to be.
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 18 minutes
Jeepers. First shot of the game was a close shave for Spurs - AZ’s left-back David Moller Wolfe just sent in a tantalising cross from the left to find Troy Parrott, the former Tottenham striker now plying his trade in the Eredivisie. Parrott made contact, but it wasn’t particularly controlled, and the ball went out for a goal kick, but that was a dangerous incision. And it’s fair to say AZ look the better side from the first couple of minutes.
AZ Alkmaar 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 5 minutes