Tottenham Hotspur booked their spot in the first knockout round of the Europa League by beating Partizan 1-0 at White Hart Lane.
Many of the headlines are likely to be dominated by the three pitch invaders who caused the game to be stopped for around 10 minutes in the first half.
Spurs eventually made the breakthrough after the interval when Benjamin Stambouli scored his first goal for the club to ensure his side are safely through with a game to spare in Group C.
Read below to find out how events unfolded in North London.
Good evening everyone. The Europa League continues tonight, and we will find out if Tottenham Hotspur can book their sport in the knockout stages at White Hart Lane. Partizan are the visitors to North London. Will the hosts avoid an upset?
It's not been the easiest starts to life as Spurs head coach for Mauricio Pochettino, but a win tonight would be a big positive with one game remaining in their Group C campaign. The Argentine is fully aware how difficult it is to play on Thursday and Sunday, so securing a spot in the next round as quickly as possible is crucial.
Spurs start the night in second place, but they have an identical record to leaders Besiktas, who take on Asteras this evening. A victory would be enough to secure their passage, but they'll be hopeful of claiming top spot in the group. Spurs travel to Turkey to face Besiktas in their final game on December 11.
SPURS: Lloris, Naughton, Chiriches, Vertonghen, Davies; Dembele, Stambouli; Lennon, Paulinho, Lamela; Soldado
SUBS: Vorm, Ball, Dier, Bentaleb, Eriksen, Winks, Kane
Pochettino makes five changes to the side which beat Hull City on Sunday. Kyle Naughton and Vlad Chiriches return to the side in defence, while Benjamin Stambouli replaces Ryan Mason in midfield. Paulinho is given a rare start behind lone striker Roberto Soldado. Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and the returning Nabil Bentaleb are on the bench.
PARTIZAN: Lukac, Ilic, Cirkovic, Stankovic, Volkov, Ninkovic, Markovic, Ilic, Lazovic, Skuletic, Grbic
SUBS: Z. Zivkovic, Petrovic, Luka, Kojic, Beko Fofana, A. Zivkovic, Marinkovic
Partizan are searching for their first win in 10 in the Europa League, but it looks like Marko Nikolic will stick with a positive approach for tonight's fixtures. The visitors are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Danko Lazovic, Petar Skuletic and Petar Grbic leading the attack.
STAT: @Aaron7Lennon will make his 400th career appearance tonight. That will include 358 in a #THFC shirt. #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 27, 2014
A quick reminder that you can also follow live text coverage of Celtic vs. Red Bull Salzburg this evening. Sports Mole will also be rounding up all of the action from the competition when the final whistles are blown across Europe.
PREDICTION: Spurs are firm favourites tonight for a reason. Partizan have struggled in Group C, and their away record in the competition is very poor. Pochettino will be hoping his attacking players can pile on the pressure as early possible. 3-0 to Spurs.
17 - Tottenham have gone 17 Europa League group games without defeat, last losing to PAOK Salonika in November 2011 (W11 D6). Spurred.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 27, 2014
The selection of Paulinho may have raised some eyebrows this evening. He's often found himself on the outside looking in under Pochettino and Tim Sherwood, but he could be a great weapon for Spurs if he finds his best form. It looks like he will be given licence to attack in a supporting role behind Soldado, but he could also a lot in alongside Stambouli and Dembele in midfield.
Both teams are out on the pitch at White Hart Lane. It will be Spurs who get the game underway.
SHOT! Excellent football from Spurs at the start of the game as both Dembele and Paulinho get forward to support Soldado. An extended spell of possession ends with Lamela teeing up the Spanish striker, who drags his shot wide from the edge of the box.
It's been a very good start from the hosts. Paulinho is involved again as Spurs work the ball out to Lennon on the right wing, but his low cross is blocked by Volkov. Crucial piece of defending from the full back.
Partizan manage to clear a cross from Davies but Naughton keeps the move alive, before volleying over the crossbar following a clever flick from Lennon on the edge of the box. Pochettino will be very happy with what he's seen early on.
On the rare occasion when they have won the ball, Partizan have been wasteful in midfield. Stambouli is proving to be a good shield for the Spurs defence as the hosts continue to dominate possession.
A silly foul on Lennon from Volkov gifts Spurs a free kick on the right wing. Lamela's delivery needs to be headed behind by Partizan, who manage to clear the danger from the corner which follows.
Brilliant work from Grbic as he leads a counter attack by sprinting away from Stambouli on the right wing. His cross into the six-yard box is well directed, but Skuletic was unable to make the right contact with his header at the near post. Spurs had a lot of players forward there, and they nearly paid for losing possession in midfield.
Clever play from Soldado to drop deeper before laying the ball back to Paulinho, whose deflected effort lands on the roof of the net. Spurs work the corner short to Lamela, but his delivery into the box is cleared.
Lamela has been eager to come inside, which is leaving Davies in a lot of room on the left, but Spurs have struggled to find the Welsh midfielder in the early stages. Partizan threaten to counter on that wing once again. Stambouli doesn't have the pace to come across and deal with the lively Grbic.
Partizan are coming into the game now. Grbic is threatening on a regular basis on the right wing and he wins a free kick for the visitors. Ilic's delivery is cleared by Chiriches, though.
SHOT! Partizan manage to recycle the ball following Ilic's poor free kick. A high ball into the box is superbly controlled by Markovic, who uses a yard of space to volley just past the post.
It's the visiting supporters in the corner of White Hart Lane who are making most of the noise now. Partizan are improving all over the pitch. Spurs are being forced to chase the ball at the moment.
Spurs come agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. Dembele does brilliantly to win the ball from Ilic in midfield before sending the ball out wide to Lamela. The Argentine whips a dangerous ball into the box, but Soldado is an inch away from adding the finishing touch.
Comical scenes at White Hart Lane. A pitch invader forces the game to be stopped for a few moments. He attempts to take a few selfies with Spurs players before finally being caught by the stewards, who showed a worrying lack of pace in pursuit of the individual!
SHOT! Poor from Spurs as they allow Markovic to carry the ball forward unchallenged, but Lloris is able to make a comfortable save to hold onto the midfielder's low strike.
Spurs have looked more dangerous when they step on the gas in the final third of the pitch. A clever flick from Lennon almost plays in Soldado, before the winger wins the ball back and sends a cross straight into Lukac's arm. Another pitch invader has managed to evade the stewards. Spurs could be punished for these incidents.
CHANCE! Partizan miss an opportunity to take the lead. A moment of hesitation from Chiriches allows Skuletic to collect the ball in the six-yard box. Lloris is off his line quickly to force the striker wide, and Naughton recovers well to clear when he sends a cross back across the goal.
A bright start from Spurs has quickly been forgotten. Partizan have looked dangerous when they commit men forward, and Chiriches and Vertonghen are struggling to keep tabs on Skuletic. The first goal could be crucial tonight.
Lamela and Lennon have switched wings, but their eagerness to cut onto their favoured sides is restricting the room on offer in midfield. Another promising move comes to an end when Naughton's cross is cleared at the front post by Volkov.
Vertonghen is being given the room to take the ball forward from the back, but Partizan are dropping back in numbers to close down the likes of Paulinho and Dembele. Stambouli unleashes a shot from 25 yards after good work from Lennon, but Lukac manages to make a comfortable save.
Strange decision from Paulinho, who collects a pass from Lennon in space inside the box, before twice passing on the opportunity to pull the trigger. Partizan break quickly through Lazovic, but his firm strike is comfortably collected by Lloris.
MATCH STOPPED: Oh dear, it's bad news at White Hart Lane. A third supporter runs onto the pitch before being stopped by stewards. A UEFA official urges the officials to take action, and the players are taken off the pitch.
Worrying scenes at White Hart Lane. There's no indication that the game is at threat right now, but the UEFA officials will be very concerned with what has happened in the first half. More stewards appear to be lined up in front of the stands now, but it's understandably a problem for the referee, players and the UEFA officials.
A few reports from the ground have suggested that all three pitch invaders were wearing t-shirts advertising the same company. Hopefully we'll be back underway very soon. No sign of the referee or players yet.
ITV are reporting that stewards have said that a supporter in the away end has given the cue every time a supporter has entered the pitch. How they have found that out, I'll never know, but they should surely be able to confront that individual.
Cheers from the stands as the two teams return to the pitch. Thankfully, it looks like the game will be back underway in a few moments. Let's hope there will be no more pitch invaders tonight.
The referee gets the game back underway, and Spurs make a bright start. Soldado is almost through after finding space, but an offside flag halts his progress.
Due to the interruption, it's a bit unclear how long the referee has added on at the end of the first half. Neither team have managed to find their rhythm since returning to the pitch.
It has now been confirmed that there will be three minutes of stoppage time to be played. The UEFA clock at White Hart Lane caused chaos for a few moments. Spurs are lacking a bit of quality in the final third of the pitch. Too many promising moves are ending with poor passes.
SHOT! Decent opening for Lamela following a poor clearance from Stankovic, but the Argentine can only hit a low effort just past the post.
HALF TIME: SPURS 0-0 PARTIZAN
The first half finally comes to an end following the disruption caused by those three pitch invaders. That stoppage didn't seem to help any of the players. Spurs started the game brightly, but Partizan have sent out a few warning shots to the hosts, with Grbic looking very dangerous on the right.
UPDATE: Spurs may be struggling to find their form in North London, but Besiktas are doing them a favour in Greece. The Turkish side currently lead Asteras 1-0. If both scores stay the same, Besiktas and Spurs will be safely through to the next round.
BENCH WATCH: If Pochettino feels he does need to freshen up the Spurs attack, he may introduce the in-form Christian Eriksen, who does have the quality to unlock this Partizan defence. Kane, who is the join top goalscorer in this competition, is another option for the hosts.
Partizan may be heading out of the Europa League, but Marko Nikolic will fancy his side's chances of upsetting the odds tonight. The visitors have defended stubbornly, and look to have the beating of Spurs when they launch fast counter attacks. If they score the first goal, it could be difficult for Spurs to respond.
It has now been revealed that all three pitch invaders were advertising a company. Reports have suggested that if another person forces their way onto the pitch, UEFA officials will take the players off. Let's hope that won't be the case. The players are back out on the pitch. Partizan will get the game back underway.
Spurs are seeing plenty of the ball early in the second half, but Partizan are holding their defensive shape impressively. Dembele and Paulinho will have to get further up the pitch if the hosts are going to make the breakthrough.
Better from Dembele as he collects the ball on the edge of the box before picking out Naughton, who frustrates his teammates and supporters by slicing a cross out of play from a good position.
GOAL! SPURS 1-0 PARTIZAN (STAMBOULI)
Spurs take the lead, and they're surely on their way to the next round. Stambouli and Soldado exchange passes to create space for the latter, whose chipped effort over Lukac hits the post. However, Stambouli reacts quickest in the box to score his first goal for the club.
YELLOW CARD! Stambouli follows a goal by picking up a booking for a poor tackle on Lazovic. The French midfielder came through the back of his rival with the challenge. He can have no arguments with that decision.
Dembele leads the attack with a brilliant run in midfield, but Lamela wastes a good chance by hitting a speculative straight at Volkov. Spurs keep the move alive, with Lukac eventually relieving the pressure by collecting Soldado's dangerous cross.
CHANCE! Decent opportunity for the visitors as Skuletic battles with Vertonghen to set up a chance for Lazovic, who fires a wayward volley a few yards past the post. Poor finish.
Spurs are growing in confidence in the final third of the pitch. Paulinho creates space for himself on the edge of the box, and watches a curled effort take a deflection on its way past the post. Soldado's poor luck then continues as he beats the offside trap to collect Lennon's pass, before seeing Lukac get a strong hand on his effort from a few yards out.
SUBSTITUTION: Bentaleb makes his return from an ankle injury by replacing Dembele, who had played a key role early in the second half.
SHOT! Great work from Lennon as he cuts in from the left wing to find Lamela, who takes a touch before hitting a powerful strike just past the post. Lukac wouldn't have kept the ball out had it been on target.
Spurs look the much sharper of the two sides at the moment. Soldado is seeing plenty of the ball, but he needs that goal to gain some valuable confidence. Pochettino will want a second goal to kill off the visitors.
SUBSTITUTION: Partizan make their first change of the night as Andrea Zivkovic comes off the bench to replace Ninkovic.
Excellent from Bentaleb in midfield as he earns himself space before clipping an inviting ball over the Partizan defence. It looks like Lennon will benefit from his teammate's good work, but Lukac is off his line quickly to collect.
SUBSTITUTION: Soldado may have wanted to continue his search for a goal, but being taken off at this stage suggests that he is likely to keep his place in the team for Sunday's clash with Everton. Harry Kane is on as the Spaniard's replacement.
CHANCE! Kane makes an immediate impact by releasing Paulinho with a clever pass. The Brazilian is dispossessed by Stankovic, but Lamela follows up to hit a powerful shot over the crossbar.
CHANCE! We've not seen enough of Grbic in the second half, but he's offered a reminder of his qualities by storming clear of Davies on the right before delivering a cross to Zivkovic, who is unable to find the target under pressure from Naughton at the near post.
YELLOW CARD! Grbic is booked, despite protesting his innocence after a foul on Lennon just over 25 yards from goal. Kane looks interested...
SAVE! Kane gets the ball dipping towards the bottom corner from the free kick, but Lukac comfortably pushes it behind for a corner. The Partizan goalkeeper is forced into action again moments later to tip Bentaleb's deflected effort over the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTION: Partizan skipper Ilic's night is over as Nenad Marinkovic comes off the bench to take his place in midfield.
Spurs survive another spell of Partizan pressure as Lloris gets a strong punch on a Lazovic corner. It's not been a comfortable night for the hosts, but they have been the better side in the second half. Will Partizan set up a dramatic finish?
SUBSTITUTION: Skuletic hasn't been as influential since the break, and he becomes the final player to be removed by Nikolic as Nemanja Kojic is sent on in attack.
Bentaleb has played an important role since coming on. The Algerian makes another crucial tackle to dispossess Kojic following a risky pass from Chiriches. Both Bentaleb and Stambouli are protecting the defence impressively in the closing stages.
GOAL DISALLLOWED! Lennon picks what looks to be a perfect pass to Kane, who continues his fine form in front of goal by slotting the ball past Lukac. However, the offside flag is up, and replays prove it was a good decision.
SAVE! Stunning from Lloris. The French goalkeeper makes his biggest contribution of the night by diving to his right to keep out Volkov's header with a brilliant save. Zivkovic can only fire the rebound into the side-netting. Spurs will have Lloris to thank for this win.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino takes the opportunity to hand Harry Winks a senior debut, and the teenager is greeted by a warm reception from the home fans. Paulinho is the player to come off.
CHANCE! Stambouli beats the offside trap to sprint clear of the Partizan defence, but rather than attempt to score a second goal, he decides to play a risky pass across the pass to Lamela, whose effort on the stretch sends the ball past the post. Pochettino can't believe it. Stambouli should have scored.
The fourth officials confirms that there will be three minutes added on. Spurs are dominating possession as the Partizan challenge fades.
Oh my, we may have just seen one of the strangest refereeing decisions in a while. The referee points to the spot when Stankovic appears to foul Kane in the box, before quickly taking his assistant's advice by giving a corner. Fortunately for him, that decision is unlikely to be remembered.
SAVE! Spurs take the corner short to Lamela, who is robbed of another stunning goal when Lukac tips his curling effort over the crossbar. Brilliant save.
FULL TIME: SPURS 1-0 PARTIZAN
It's all over at White Hart Lane. Spurs may not have produced their best form, but they've done enough to book their spot in the first knockout round. Stambouli's goal has secured all three points. Spurs are now two points clear of Besiktas, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Asteras tonight.
Thanks for following our coverage of the Europa League tonight. Make sure you keep an eye out for reaction from across Europe. Goodnight.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
