Tim Sherwood backs refereeing decisions in Tottenham Hotspur's win over Dnipro

Head coach Tim Sherwood has insisted that referee Antony Gautier had no choice but to reduce Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to 10 men during Tottenham Hotspur's three-goal comeback win in the Europa League last 32.

Roman Zozulya was sent off for headbutting Jan Vertonghen midway through the second half of Thursday's second leg, aiding the Spurs revival.

The Dnipro striker, who had earlier opened the scoring at White Hart Lane, was visibly furious with the decision and Vertonghen's seemingly exaggerated reaction, but Sherwood feels that the official called it right.

Sherwood also claims that he did not see an earlier incident which saw Roberto Soldado go unpunished after appearing to direct an elbow towards Artem Fedetskiy.

"Did he? I haven't seen it," Sherwood told reporters when asked about Soldado's actions.

He added: "I think [Zozulya] sticks his nut in [Vertonghen's] nose, so you have got no chance of staying on the pitch when you do that, have you?

"I didn't see any decisions which were too out of the way, I thought he refereed the game well. I think Dnipro played a good game and are a good side; they may go on and win that division {in Ukraine]."

A Christian Eriksen free kick and two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor secured Spurs a last-16 meeting with Benfica.