Vitesse vs Tottenham LIVE: Europa Conference League result, final score and reaction tonight
Maximilian Wittek’s 78th-minute strike was enough to secure the points and leave Spurs in real bother sat in third in Group G
Tottenham’s decision to leave their big guns at home saw them lose 1-0 to Vitesse Arnhem in Group G of Europa Conference League.
The likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Cristiano Romero and Hugo Lloris did not travel to Holland with Sunday’s clash at West Ham in mind and a second string were undone by Maximilian Wittek’s 78th-minute strike.
The side Nuno Espirito Santo picked still had nine international players, but they were never really in the game and Bryan Gil’s shot that hit the crossbar early in the second half was their only moment of note.
Last time Tottenham played in Holland they enjoyed one of the most famous nights in their history as Lucas Moura’s hat-trick against Ajax sent them through to the Champions League final.
This time the Johan Cruijff ArenA was nothing but a stop on the trainline between Amsterdam and Arnhem and that Moura miracle must seem a long time ago as Spurs now compete in the third tier of European football.
Nuno has shown the competition respect so far, but made it clear where his priorities lay, leaving the entire XI that played 90 minutes at Newcastle last weekend at home to train ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to the Hammers.
With the return fixture in a fortnight and then a trip to the weakest team in the competition NS Mura to come, the Portuguese decided that leaving his big guns back in London for this game was a risk worth taking.
It was a gamble because this was a big night for Vitesse, who sold out their GelreDome stadium for the first time in seven years.
Before kick-off their partisan fans held up a banner reading “For the city, the colours and our club: This is our night” and, fresh from a derby win over NEC Nijmegen at the weekend, they started with intent.
Nikolai Baden Frederiksen forced Pierluigi Gollini into a save with his feet after being played in in the third minute and then Jacob Rasmussen flashed a header just wide from a corner.
Unsurprisingly given the amount of changes, Spurs were not up to much in an attacking sense in the first half, with teenage striker Dane Scarlett up against it in a lone role in attack.
They immediately showed more after the break and were within inches of taking the lead in the 47th minute.
Giovani Lo Celso showed why he is becoming a key player for Argentina as he went on an enterprising dribble before laying it off for Gil, whose first-time shot rattled the crossbar.
That was as good as it got for Spurs who were pinned further and further back as the second half wore on, with Eli Dasa twice going close with efforts from distance, the second effort bringing a smart stop out of Gollini.
It was no surprise when the goal came 12 minutes from time as Wittek brilliantly volleyed home Dasa’s cross from the edge of the area to send the home crowd wild.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
42 mins: Bongonda’s just come alive over the last few minutes or so. He does a nice little flick to get the ball around Soucek before he sprints down the line. He passes it back to Arteaga whose cross isn’t great and comes straight to Cresswell for West Ham.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
39 mins: Close! Cresswell is sent down the left side of the box once again and floats a cross to the back post. Soucek arrives to win the header but Arteaga does just enough to put him off and the ball skims off the top of his head and comes out to Bongonda.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
36 mins: Bongonda shifts the ball over to the left of the box and wins a corner when Rice puts his low cross behind. Genk play it short to Arteaga who curls one into the middle of the box. Areola comes out to claim it but get nowhere near the ball as Onuachu leaps to win the header. He loops it goalwards but the effort drops agonisingly wide of the left-hand post!
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
33 mins: Genk have been defensively solid so far but are finding it tough to transition into attack. Ito has been their main ball carrier over on the right wing but he doesn’t have many options coming forward with him and inevitably West Ham recover possession.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
30 mins: West Ham are starting to turn it on. Cresswell’s getting into a lot of space over on the left side and just needs bodies in the box to meet his crosses.
The Hammers win a corner that Bowen sends into the box. Lucumi gets a glancing head to the ball but it reaches Dawson who heads it over the bar.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
27 mins: Chance! Big chance for West Ham to take the lead as Lanzini slides the ball into the right side of the box to match Johnson’s overlapping run. Johnson cuts the ball back from the byline and puts it on a plate for Bowen on the edge of the six-yard box. He shoots but misses the ball! It bounces off his standing leg and falls to Cresswell who belts it wide of goal.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
24 mins: Preciado got clattered by Soucek as he won the aerial ball and stayed down. He gets a check over from the medics but is fine to play on.
Onuachu tries to get the better of Diop as the ball comes up the pitch but the defender holds him off and wins a free kick.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
21 mins: Chance! Bowen knocks a corner kick short to Rice who sets himself and curls a cross over to the back post. Soucek wins the header and fires it towards the near bottom corner but Vandevoordt leaps across to palm the ball away. Good save!
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
18 mins: West Ham look like they’re missing the focal point that Michail Antonio provides when he leads the line. Their attacking play tonight seems to involve sharp, cutting passes into the box or relying on the wide men making runs past defenders. It’s not quite working so far tonight.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
15 mins: Maarten Vandevoordt punts a long ball straight down the middle as Bongonda flies across from the right. Areola spots the developing danger and storms out of his box to get to the ball first. He does but gets cleaned out by Genk forward as West Ham clear their lines.
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