Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk took a first-leg advantage in their Europa League last-32 tie against Tottenham Hotspur with a 1-0 win at the Dnipro Arena this evening.
Both sides squandered a number of chances throughout the game, including a howler from Roberto Soldado as he blazed over from four yards out with the goal gaping.
Yevhen Konoplyanka finally opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the second half, while the hosts almost doubled their lead late on when Roman Zozulya hit the post with a header.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at an absorbing night of European football.
Match statistics
Dnipro
Shots: 19
On target: 6
Possession: 35%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 8
Tottenham
Shots: 15
On target: 4
Possession: 65%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
Yes. Don't let the possession stats fool you - Dnipro saw enough of the ball to pose a very real threat to Tottenham on a number of occasions. They took advantage of some suspect defending and should have scored long before they eventually broke the deadlock.
Spurs certainly had chances of their own as well and would argue that they deserved a point, but Dnipro were the better team in the second half after an even first, so overall they warranted the victory. Such was the nature of the match that Spurs could have won with a little more composure in front of goal, while Dnipro could have almost put the tie to bed had they had the same.
Dnipro's performance
The hosts were very impressive this evening, and they showed enough evidence to suggest that Tottenham should not expect a comfortable win in next week's return leg at White Hart Lane. Konoplyanka was a particular thorn in the side of Spurs, and the whole attacking line took advantage of some shoddy defending from Tim Sherwood's side. They held firm defensively themselves - although their clean sheet is in part down to some poor finishing - and looked dangerous on the break. They countered quickly and in numbers, and were comfortably the better team for the final half an hour when the game really began to open up.
Tottenham's performance
It was by no means a vintage Tottenham performance, but they were quite good going forward at times and threatened Dnipro often enough to have deserved a goal. How they didn't get one with Soldado's chance is a question that may never be answered. Sherwood will be unhappy with his defence, however, as they look shaky all day and were caught out on a number of occasions. Often Danny Rose was the chief culprit, not getting back quickly enough having burst upfield.
Part of that will have been down to how quickly Dnipro broke forward, but in that case another player should have filled in for Rose to plug the gap he left. A simple diagonal long ball cut Tottenham open too often tonight, and eventually they were punished as Jan Vertonghen was left chasing back and conceded the penalty.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Yevhen Konoplyanka: Liverpool fans watching the game will be even more gutted that they missed out on Konoplyanka during the January transfer window after the playmaker put in a fine display. Every time he picked the ball up he looked to make something happen with it, and it was clear that he possesses bagfuls of skill and enough quality to consistently trouble a Premier League defence. He was at the heart of everything good that Dnipro produced. His goal was the icing on the cake, and it was a well taken penalty as he put it in off the inside of the post, giving Brad Friedel no chance at all.
Biggest gaffe
When Matheus Nascimento proved that he was no relation to Edson Arantes do Nascimento - aka Pele - by missing a glorious chance in the first half, this dubious honour was all but his. However, Soldado popped up and stole his crown with an unbelievable miss that will feature on gaffe DVDs for years to come. The ball came low across the box to the Spaniard, who had peeled off to the back post and was left unmarked to tap in an easy finish with the goal gaping.
However, he skied his effort well over the bar from just four yards out, continuing a torrid run of form that has seen him dropped from the Spurs starting lineup in recent weeks. He was subbed soon after. To be fair to the striker, the ball did take a bit of a bobble on what was a shocking pitch, but it was still a sitter and he should have been able to finish it with his eyes closed.
Referee performance
Antonio Mateu had a very good game this evening. He was lenient and let a few dubious tackles slide, but that was all to make the game flow more smoothly on a poor pitch. Most importantly, he was consistent with his decisions.
Spurs had a penalty shout in the first half when Paulinho was brought down when bursting through on goal but the referee awarded a free kick just outside the area which, the replays showed, was the correct decision. It was an almost identical scenario in the second half when Dnipro won their penalty, but this time the foul looked to occur right on the edge of the box. It was a very close call, but once again the ref got it right by awarding the spot kick.
What next?
Dnipro: Due to the winter break in Ukraine, Dnipro aren't back in league action until March, so their next match will be the second leg against Tottenham a week from today.
Tottenham: Spurs, meanwhile, look to keep their challenge for the top four on track when they face Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
