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 3 - 0 Genk
86 mins: Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals are on for West Ham. Bowen and Vlasic are the men that have gone off.
Preciado slots and pass into the right side of the box where Oyen collects the ball and cuts it back to Ugbo. He shoots but fires the effort wide of goal. It’s just not happening for Genk.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
83 mins: West Ham are cruising to their third win of the campaign. They’ll move sixe points clear at the top of the table and be within one win of qualifying for the knockout stages.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
80 mins: West Ham get the best period on the ball since David Moyes made his changes. They work the ball into the final third and try to find a way into the box from the left. Bowen and Fredericks link up to play it wide but Bowen is tackled by Hrosovsky and Genk clear the danger.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
77 mins: Good defending! Genk deserve a goal. They work it beautifully into the left side of the box before cutting the ball back to Ito who turns on the spin only for Diop to solidly block it.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
74 mins: Nearly! Ito curls a decent cross into the six-yard box where substitute Ike Ugbo flings himself at the ball and wins the header. He’s almost horizontal when he meets the cross and can’t direct it properly meaning his effort goes wide of the near post.
West Ham have just taken their foot off the gas.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
71 mins: Chance! Ito chips the ball into the box where Onuachu nods it down for Thorstvedt who’s he’s unmarked in the box. He’s got a grwat chance to get one back for Genk but he scuffs his shot and it goes wide of the post.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
68 mins: David Moyes makes a double change for West Ham. Aaron Cresswell and Declan Rice, arguably West Ham’s best two players tonight, are both off and get replaced with Ryan Fredericks and Mark Noble.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
65 mins: Arteaga swings a cross into the box from the left but can’t find a teammate. Ito does a good recovery job to keep the ball in play but he’s forced to pass it backwards by Cresswell. Genk play the ball inside and give it to Thorsvedt. He shoots from range and hoofs the ball over the goal.
West Ham 3 - 0 Genk
62 mins: The wheels have come off for Genk. The second goal was always going to be the crucial one and so it has proved. West Ham are fizzing the ball around now. Cresswell sends it up to Lanzini who knocks it across to Bowen. Bowen slides a through ball into the area but Lanzini is beaten to it by the goalkeeper.
GOAL! West Ham 3 - 0 Genk (Bowen, 58’)⚽️
58 mins: It’s all over now! Bongonda gives the ball away to Bowen who plays a one-two with Lanzini to get past the Genk midfield. He drives down the right side channel, runs into the box, shimmies to the left and then hits his shot at goal. Vandevoordt gets a big hand to the shot and should do better but the ball squeezes underneath him and finishes in the back of the net.
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