Brilliant Bale shreds Inter on magic night for Spurs

Tottenham 3 Inter Milan 1. If Gareth Bale was thought of highly before last night, this morning the young Welshman is probably the hottest property in European football. The Spurs winger turned in a masterful display against Inter Milan as the Champions League holders slumped to a 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane.

Though the 21-year-old Bale didn't repeat his goalscoring antics of the first encounter between the two sides (he scored a hat-trick in Spurs' 4-3 reverse at the San Siro last month) he tormented the Inter defence time and time again, giving their respected Brazilian defender Maicon possibly the worst 90 minutes of his career. "He was amazing," said Spurs boss Harry Redknapp later. "Maicon is rated as the best right-back in the world and what he's done to him over the last two games is amazing.  He can cross, his left foot is great on the run, he can shoot, dribble, head it, he's got everything."

The win means Tottenham move above Inter in Group A on goal difference and leaves them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage. Next up for the Lilywhites is a home game against Werder Bremen on November 23 and they finish the pool stage a fortnight later with a trip to FC Twente, the Dutch side that lost 4-1 at the Lane a few weeks ago. "We're in a good position now," admitted Redknapp. "It was a big game, playing Inter Milan at White Hart Lane, and everyone was here, all the Spurs fans can look back on it and I'm pleased to be part of that tonight. You have to put in perspective who we're playing against: Inter Milan, the Champions League holders. The opposition is top, top class and for us to play like we did tonight against them was a fantastic performance... one of the great nights, I would think, at White Hart Lane that the fans have seen."

The match started at a lively pace with both sides creating opportunities and Inter's Eto'o gave warning of his intent early on with a 25-yard firecracker that sizzled just wide of the Tottenham goal. But Spurs, with Rafael Van der Vaart showing no ill-effects from the hamstring injury he suffered on Saturday against Manchester United, were soon threatening down the left flank as Maicon was given the runaround by Bale.

But when Spurs scored on 18 minutes it wasn't Bale the creator but Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, who set Van der Vaart free inside the Inter area with a clever flick. The Dutchman glanced up, chose his spot, and smashed the ball between Luca Castellazzi and his right-hand post.

Spurs should have been two up five minutes later when Bale again shredded Maicon down the left only for his sublime cross to be fluffed by Peter Crouch in the six-yard box.

Spurs emerged for the second-half minus Van der Vaart, his hamstring problem having flared up, but the hosts took his absence in their stride with Bale turning the screw on the tortured Inter defence. The Welshman teed up Crouch on the hour mark for Spurs' second, and as Castellazzi picked the ball out of the Inter net, chants of 'Taxi for Maicon' could be heard around the ground.

Eto'o threatened to put an end to the Spurs fans' taunting 10 minutes before the end with a characteristically classy goal, shaking off the attentions of Alan Hutton before drilling the ball into the Tottenham net from the edge of the box. But back came Bale for one last hurrah, reducing the Inter defence to dumbfounded onlookers as he waltzed his way past them to lay the ball off to substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko who made it 3-1.

The last word of the evening went to Redknapp, who had a message for any club thinking of making a move for Bale. "As far as selling him goes, the people who own Tottenham are not poor people. They don't need to sell him. I don't think Gareth needs to go anywhere else to play his football. He needs to stay here at White Hart Lane." ·