published: thursday 19 september 2013, 23.13cet tottenham hotspur fc 3-0 tromsø ıl
a pair of first-half goals from jermain defoe got the home side on their way in a game that the premier league side dominated throughout.
last season's uefa europa league quarter-finalists tottenham hotspur fc enjoyed a successful return to the competition, beating tromsø ıl 3-0 at white hart lane in their group k opener.
a pair of first-half goals from jermain defoe got andré villas-boas' side on their way in a game that the premier league side dominated throughout. substitute christian eriksen wrapped it up with the goal of the night four minutes from time, sending spurs on the long matchday two trip to fc anji makhachkala in good spirits.
agnar christensen's side, cheered on by buoyant travelling support, rarely looked in danger of suffering a repeat of their last trip to london, when they suffered their heaviest european loss, 7-1 to chelsea fc in november 1997. they welcome fc sheriff next.
having only exited the competition on penalties to fc basel 1893 last season, tottenham began at a lively pace. the busy visiting goalkeeper marcus sahlman had already made saves from the impressive danny rose, defoe and gylfi sigurdsson when they made the breakthrough.
defoe gave the home team the lead in the 21st minute, delicately lifting over the advancing sahlman after erik lamela's first-time pass split the defence. eight minutes later the forward grabbed his second, guiding in lewis holtby's threaded through ball left-footed from a closing angle.
jan vertonghen came on as a replacement for the injured rose, but there was no let-up. sigurdsson drove a shot just wide from the edge of the area, then the diving sahlman denied defoe his hat-trick.
tromsø had a rare effort just before the interval when josh pritchard found some space behind the spurs defence, but dragged his shot wide. pritchard had another chance just after the hour, firing over from outside the area. however eriksen had the last word, driving high into the top corner from range.
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