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Tottenham Hotspur fought back from an early setback to thump AS Roma 4-1 in the International Champions Cup friendly at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
Patrik Schick put the Giallorossis ahead inside three minutes as Spurs were thrown in a tizzy, but Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura each bagged a brace before half-time to effectively put the tie to bed.
With a host of changes made after the interval, the game expectedly turned into a plodding affair with minimal goal-mouth action, even though Roma did try to pull something back with a few futile attempts. But Tottenham ran out comfortable winners to begin their pre-season on a high note.
The major talking points from the friendly:
#1 Roma start brightly but undone by poor defending
On paper, Tottenham appeared to play the stronger side of the two even though Christian Eriksen was the only first-team player to start. But Roma, fielding a group of youngsters, were the ones to start on a brighter note, dominating possession and catching Spurs off guard by quickly moving forward with silky passing play.
It bore fruit as early as the third minute when Javier Pastore got space on the left and laid off for Patrick Schick, whose effort took a slight deflection before crashing into the back of the net. Roma were in the driving seat within the blink of an eye, but Spurs weren't to be cowed down, and slowly clawed their way back into the game.
Some poor defending aided Tottenham's cause further. Llorente easily beat Manolas in the air for the opener after Pastore had given the ball away cheaply in his own half. Roma's (makeshift) defence was again caught off-guard for the next two goals as they allowed Moura to head free into the back of the net for Spurs' third. It was a kamikaze-like chaos at the back every time Spurs invaded the area and the Giallorossis were all over the place.
Despite a positive start, the game was well and truly over even before the half-hour mark, thanks to lackadaisical defending.
#2 Llorente getting back into his element
Fernando Llorente had a difficult first season with Tottenham Hotspur after signing from Swansea City on deadline day last year. Bought as a backup to Harry Kane, the Spaniard started just one Premier League game and his laboured showings meant he could not get more minutes on the pitch.
His future with Spurs appeared bleak at the end of last season, but today he showed signs of life with an encouraging display. Llorente struck twice in the space of 9 minutes, whilst assisting Moura for the fourth goal with a cheeky backheel. Llorente's build play was a joy to behold as his energy and desire, complemented with his positional sense, bore fruit. The 33-year-old had more confidence and grace in front of goal than what he did in the whole of last season.
Although it's too early to jump to conclusions at this time of the season (especially since he will be behind Kane in the pecking order), maybe Pochettino's persistence with him could yield dividends if Llorente continues in the same vein when the season officially starts.
#3 Lucas Moura packs a punch
Since arriving in the January transfer window, Lucas Moura has failed to have much of an impact on the proceedings. But with a full pre-season under his belt, this season could be a defining one for the Brazilian.
Moura is certainly on the right track as he was arguably the star performer in today's clash. The Brazilian was at the heart of everything good that Spurs did in the first half and was given plenty of time to strut his stuff on the field, coming off only in the 82nd minute.
Perhaps Pochettino was delighted by his performance, harrying Roma's defenders and surprisingly, dominating in the air despite his diminutive stature. The best part of his game today was the intelligent use of his pace. He was incredibly quick which helped bring urgency to Tottenham's attack.
He scythed down the right to connect to a cross midway through the first half and played an important part in the second goal as his initial shot got deflected off Mirante, only for Llorente to tap home the rebound.
What's more, he bagged a brace too. Both goals reeked quality, as he first brilliantly latched on to Serge Aurier's inch-perfect delivery, before netting again with a long shot that beat as many as 3 defenders on the way.
Moura would find more game time in the coming season should he continue to impress in the remaining friendlies too. Or even play a key role in Pochettino's plans.
#4 Pastore may need time to settle
Javier Pastore grew increasingly out of favour at PSG and joined AS Roma for €24.7 million last month. This was his first appearance in the Giallorossi colours and cut a mixed bag. An attacking midfielder by trade, the Argentinian spent most of his time on the field in his own half, and was also directly responsible for the first goal by Spurs.
He lost his footing when Moura laid off for Amos on the right, and it allowed the youngster to surge into the area and send in an impeccable cross for Llorente to equalise. This was the perfect anti-climax to his heroics at the other end of the field during the opening exchanges when he found Schick with an expert backheel for his first meaningful contribution (and also his last) on his AS Roma debut.
Pastore was taken off at the hour mark, and till then, produced some fairly good freekick deliveries which might suggest he would be taking over the set-piece duties during the competitive games. With time, he might find his footing. The signs are there.
#5 Barrage of substitutions turn goal-fest into a snooze-fest after the break
We're accustomed to witnessing a raft of changes in games like these as a manager opts to hand everyone on the bench a fair crack. Whilst De Francesco made five changes before the hour mark, Pochettino persisted with the same lineup for about 60 minutes before he too wielded the axe and injected fresh legs, including World Cup star Son Heung-Min.
However, this took the sting out of the match as it receded into mediocrity thereafter. Tottenham were seemingly content with the score and refrained from making any more forays ahead, while Roma couldn't crank up the pressure despite new personnel taking to the field. Whatever they could muster was easily dealt with by the Spurs backline.
