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Juve capitalised on a nervy first-half display by a young Spurs side who improved in the second 45 minutes thanks to the introduction of Erik Lamela, who scored

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Tue 26 Jul 2016 08.03 EDTFirst published on Tue 26 Jul 2016 05.30 EDT
Medhi Benatia celebrates after scoring the second goal for Juventus against Tottenham.
Medhi Benatia celebrates after scoring the second goal for Juventus against Tottenham. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Medhi Benatia celebrates after scoring the second goal for Juventus against Tottenham. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

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Spurs were dreadful at the back in the first half and not much cop going forwards either. But a young side was always going to be nervy. Lamela was streets ahead of anyone when he came on in the second half and Winks and Harrison looked the most impressive of their young players. Wanyama was solid for 90 minutes too. As for Juve, Dybala and Pjanic looked sharp and dangerous. But let’s remember, it was just a warmup. Thanks for your emails. Bye.

Full-time: Juventus 2-1 Spurs

Winks gets his toes twinkling again, dinking in a cute pass that Lamela was close to getting on the end of. But peep! That’s that.

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90+1 min: Lamela takes a pass under pressure midway inside the Juve half. He shows razor--sharp feet to evade his marker and slip in Harrison. The youngster connects well with his shot but Neto palms it wide at his near post. Corner. The corner is cleared. This is almost exciting.

88 min: Yedlin drops his shoulder and whips in a ball towards Lamela, who connects with the cross but watches his attempted shot slam into a defender and spin clear. That was sharp by Yedlin.

87 min: Lirola, who snuck on when I wasn’t looking, pulls Wanyama’s shirt as the big man steams through the middle of the pitch and is booked for his trouble. I like Lirola’s style. He’s not taking this lightly.

86 min: Lamela drops deep to pick the ball up off the back four. He runs forwards and tries to spark a move but the Juve defence snuff out the danger. Coccolo struggles to clear, though, and Spurs come back at Juve.

84 min: Spurs are on top and pushing for an equaliser. Edwards, the 17-year-old who has slipped into the No10 role, looks really lively. He is looking to take the ball and turn at every opportunity and is finding space where previously there appeared to be none.

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80 min: Juve have just made about 25 changes. I think Macek, Rossetti and Blanco Moreno came on for Lemina, Hernanes and AN Other but to be honest I don’t know. There may have been more. For Spurs I do know that Amos is on for Ball, who won’t look back on that first half fondly at all.

76 min: Lamela stings the palms of Neto from 18 yards out. He chooses to sidefoot it when he really should have laced it.

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75 min: Omonah just can’t dampen a drilled diagonal ball into him from the left, watching it bounce off his toe and away to Neto. He looks lively, though. Always alert and looking to play off the shoulder.

73 min: Lemina drills a long ball out to Vitale on the left wing. He nips inside and dinks the ball off to his right to Rugani. He somehow bundles his way through two Spurs defenders before connecting with a shot that deflects wide for a corner.

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70 min: What was clear from watching that Spurs goal is just how good and how quick both your feet and mind have to be to receive a ball where Hernanes did, midway inside his own half, with his back to goal, and escape without conceding possession as Hernanes did when put under pressure. It makes you realise just how good some of the best holding midfield players are: Alonso, Busquets et al.

68 min: A moment before that Spurs goal Pjanic was replaced by Parodi and Asamoah was taken off for Vitale, who is not wearing a full-face mast tonight, as he did in the training session yesterday evening.

Goal! Juventus 2-1 Spurs (Lamela 67)

Spurs treat Juve to a taste of their own medicine. Wanyama nips in and nicks possession off Hernanes, I think, and squirts the ball through to Lamela, who finishes sharply from 18 yards, across Neto, and into the far corner.

Erik Lamela celebrates after pulling a goal back for Tottenham against Juventus. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
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63 min: Substitution time! Trippier, Carroll and Janssen are off. Harrison, Walkes and Edwards are on. I think Edwards is about 12. Meanwhile, Spurs almost conceded a goal after faffing around with it at the back again only for Vorm to be alert to the danger and hoik it clear.

60 min: I’d go as far as to say that Spurs now look comfortable. Lamela is getting on the ball at every opportunity and is showing for the defenders all the time. Basically, he just wants possession. Always a handy attribute that.

59 min: Lamela is wearing gloves in a pre-season friendly in Melbourne. I know it’s winter there, but come on, it’s hardly Sunderland.

58 min: Spurs are playing much better going forwards this half. Credit is due to Winks for that. He’s making himself a pesky presence in there, pressing with intent and ruffling a few feathers. Maybe he is worthy of personalised boots after all.

55 min: Lamela has the first half-decent shot of the match for Spurs. It followed some neat hold-up play from Janssen, who worked the ball back to Lamela to strike a fizzing low shot a foot to the left of the Neto’s far post from 20 yards.

52 min: What a pass this is! Pjanic slices over horribly with his left foot from 12 yards out after being sent scuttling clear by a delicious curled ball from Hernanes that splits the Spurs defence in two. Brilliant vision.

Tottenham’s Erik Lamela chases the ball against Juventus. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
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49 min: Well those personalised Harry Winks boots have just delivered a lovely dinked pass over the top of the Juve defence to within a yard of Onomah, who just couldn’t get a foot to it as Neto raced out to collect on the edge of the area. What a delightful feather-toed pass from the Spurs youngster that was.

48 min: Spurs have begun reasonably enough. Well, they haven’t conceded and nor have they given the ball away under the merest hint of pressure at the back.

Peep!

45 min: It’s the second half – and only the six changes to report. Erik Lamela, DeAndre Yedlin, Harry Winks and Joshua Onomah have replaced Son, Mason, Chadli and Oliver Twist Miller. As for Juventus, Cerri is on for Pereyra and Benatia is replaced by Marrone.

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James Hallett’s glass is half-empty: “Not many positives to take from that first half for Spurs. Wanyama looked strong and Janssen showed some good movement, but the delivery to him has mostly been poor. The wildly inexperienced central defence highlights the need for defensive reinforcements - with Vertonghen injured the only remaining fit centre backs are Wimmer and Alderweireld. An injury to one of those two and Dier will be drafted into defence, which isn’t so bad with Wanyama now on the books but I would be much happier if Spurs signed another central defender rather than the next option being one of these youngsters - there was some talk of Ragnar Sigurðsson after the Euros but other than that I don’t think there has been so much as a whisper.”

Raymond Reardon has run the stats on expectant father Harry Kane so that I don’t have to: “Hi Gregg, in regard to your earlier posting that Harry Kane and his partner are expecting in January 2017 it should not affect Harry’s scoring too much....in the 2014/2015 season he scored 15 of his 21 Premier League Goals between November-February and in the 2015/2016 season, just completed, he scored 12 of his 25 Premier League Goals between November - February. In both of those seasons he scored an own goal before he got on the Premier League Golden Boot tally. With that now out of the way we will have to wait to see if he can score in the warmer months leading up to November, providing he has recovered from the summer Euros.” I’d like to think his performances against me last season were the real reason for his surge in goals in 2015-16.

45 min: “I know it’s only pre-season but I still think that David Crowther should get a straight red for that Pjanic crack,” peeps Mike Mackenzie. Its quality is in keeping with that on show at the MCG Mike.

43 min: Dybala cuts out another move on the Spurs right but his pass inside to Lemina is wayward. Yup, not much happening here. Poor Janssen’s heat map will be colder than the North Pole.

41 min: On the subject of panic, Hernanes made a hash of clearing a Carroll cross just a moment ago. He took a wild air-shot and lost all sense of where he was, watching the ball fall behind him only to be gathered by Neto before Janssen could pounce.

36 min: Spurs try to play out from the back on the right and get into all sorts of bother as Juve nick possession. Dybala is sent racing through the middle of the pitch and plays a neat one-two with Pjanic before Spurs get enough bodies back to force him to play a backwards pass. Juve build again. I like the way Dybala wears his socks low. Wearing your socks low gives the impression of a hard-working player even if you’re not. Although Dybala definitely is.

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33 min: Miller has got forwards gamely enough so far. He bursts into the box and then tumbles over as Benatia leans into him. He wants a penalty but the referee waves his appeal away. There was contact but hardly enough to warrant a spot-kick in my opinion. A moment before that, a free-kick was given against Dybala who almost gave Carroll an impromptu facelift with a high boot.

29 min: Carroll puts a decent cross in from the left but Juve clear for a corner. Carroll’s corner is knocked in deep to the man-mountain Wanyama at the back of the penalty area, he loops a header up and back into the throng of players in the box, from where Son has a pop at goal. It’s a poor pop. It’s a poor game.

26 min: Spurs are finally enjoying a bit of possession. They’re not going anywhere with it but still, it’s progress. I don’t think Spurs have had a touch in Juve’s penalty area yet. Anyway, here’s something: Spurs’ William Miller in action as Oliver Twist in the 2007 miniseries that also starred Tom Hardy.

23 min: Wanyama drops deep and collects the ball off the back four before spraying a pass out wide to Miller. He controls and has a gallop forwards before checking back and trying to play in Chadli, but the move breaks down.

21 min: Juve look miles ahead here. They’re mixing up their play, long and short, and just aren’t making the silly mistakes that Pocchetino’s side have made so far.

19 min: The problem that Spurs have is that they’re trying to play out from the back at every opportunity but the young players at the back aren’t confident enough to do that effectively.

17 min: Another short back pass from Spurs almost leads to Dybala rounding Vorm and scoring, but the keeper does just enough to put the Juve striker off. But my, my, this Spurs defending is atrocious.

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Goal! Juventus 2-0 Spurs (Benatia 15)

Spurs make a right royal mess of clearing the corner, the ball drifts out wide and is lofted back in towards the Juve defender, signed from Bayern this summer, who rises highest and sends the ball back towards the near post across Vorm. Simple. But this defending from Spurs. They’re pretty much leaving the door open for Juventus whenever they get near the Spurs penalty area.

Medhi Benatia heads home to put Juventus 2-0 up against Tottenham. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
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13 min: Carter-Vickers and Ball are caught out of position once more, allowing Dybala to nip in behind them and hit a snap-shot that Vorm palms away for a corner.

10 min: Juve have sensed that the way forwards in this game is to put an intense press on the young, nervy Spurs back line. Miller is forced to clear forwards under pressure from Pereyra and Juve win back possession. The Italian champions are in total control.

9 min: Spurs had an incredibly high line when they conceded there. Both sides have looked rusty so far, mind. Only when Juve got a sniff of a goal did they make every pass count. Prior to that they’d looked wasteful in possession.

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Goal! Juventus 1-0 Spurs (Dybala 6)

Oh dear! Dominic Ball fails to control a simple pass back to him midway inside the Spurs half. Pereyra nips in and nicks possession before racing away towards goal, drawing a poor attempt at a tackle from Carter-Vickers, and playing in Dybala, who wallops the ball home from 10 yards with his left foot.

Paulo Dybala scores to give Juventus a 1-0 lead against Tottenham Hotspur. Photograph: Julian Smith/AAP
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3 min: Neto makes hash of playing a simple pass out from the back and sends the ball whistling out of play for a Spurs throw-in. To be fair, anyone would be a nervous wreck having to cover for Buffon. Even in a pre-season warmup.

Peep!

1 min: Spurs get us under way. Janssen is sent racing through the middle early on but Benatia shows a good set of heels – and strength too - to get in front of the Dutchman and clear the danger.

Right, it’s almost time for kick-off at the MCG. It’s pretty sparsely populated but it is a hell of a big stadium to fill. Spurs are wearing a gold kit with pinstripes tonight. Juve in their iconic black and white changed strip of blue because there’s money to be made on tour you know.

Spurs fans, what are you expecting this season? Is it going to be better or worse than last time out? And Juve fans, is £79m for Higuáin not a sure sign of madness?

Harry Kane isn’t with the Spurs squad. In fact, none of England’s Euro 2016 heroes have travelled with Spurs to Australia. They’ve been left at home. Kane’s announced some good news in the last 24 hours.

So happy that @KateGoodlandx and I are expecting our first child! Exciting times ahead! Can't wait! 👶🏼🍼❤️ pic.twitter.com/TpqZzFcS6l

— Harry Kane (@HKane) July 25, 2016

It’s also good news for Premier League defenders. Kane will be knackered in January.

Personally I think young players should have to have made 50 appearances before getting personalised boots.

Harry Winks, two Europa League appearances last season, has bright yellow ‘Harry Winks’ boots. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Getty Images
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Sean Kilgannon has this on the weather in Australia. “Cold in Melbourne? Try Boxing Day, 1998, the Ashes Test at the MCG, Aussie summer … drizzle started about 10.25, no play all day, freezing Antarctic wind. Don’t believe Neighbours!” Is Neighbours still going? If so, how many times has Harold Bishop returned from the dead?

Team news!

Juventus team: Neto; Lirola, Benatia, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Lemina, Hernanes, Asamoah; Pjanic, Pereyra; Dybala. Subs: Audero, Del Favero, Loria, Marrone, Blanco Moreno, Parodi, Severin, Coccolo, Macek, Kastanos, Vitale, Rosseti, Cerri, Padovan

Spurs team: Vorm; Trippier, Ball, Carter-Vickers, Miller; Mason (C), Wanyama; Son, Carroll, Chadli; Janssen. Subs: McGee (GK), Glover (GK), Walker-Peters, Yedlin, Amos, Edwards, Lamela, Onomah, Walkes, Winks, Harrison.

So both managers start with their new signings. Pjanic in midfield for Juve, where he’ll have the huge presence of Wanyama to contend with in the centre of the park. While up front for Spurs, Janssen is given the chance to lead the line as a lone striker in the absence of Kane. He’s not facing the usual Juve wall of Buffon, Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci, mind. So some relief for Janssen if he had the butterflies.

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Preamble

Hello. Where better than the Melbourne Cricket Ground for a pre-season warmup match between the champions of Italy and Tottenham Hotspur? Ah, OK. Well, anyway. Mauricio Pochettino has kept his squad together this summer and added the steel of Victor Wanyama to his midfield for £11m as well as the aggressive young attacking talent of Vincent Janssen, who came to the club from AZ Alkmaar for £17m (which would have been about £1.50 a year ago, such is the inflated transfer market). Both players are with the squad in Australia so we may see them in action. As for Juventus, well, they’re still in a state of flux. Gonzalo Higuáin is on the verge of a £79m move to the club from Napoli (yes, £79m – oh football!) and Paul Pogba is almost certain to leave for a figure so high it is probably beyond most people’s comprehension. Miralem Pjanic, who came in for £26m from Roma, will likely get a run out. Much will be expected from him this season when Pogba is safely despatched to Manchester/Madrid.

I’m not sure how much Pochettino will be enjoying dragging his players around the world before the season starts. He’s famed for taking extra care to get his players fitter than his rivals, with regular double sessions. I’ve heard it’s difficult to do squat thrusts on a commercial flight – even in business class. It might be that Chelsea’s Antonio Conte steals a march on the Spurs boss in the fitness stakes this season. Just look at this:

This was some of Conte's pre-Euros fitness work. Wonder how far a normal person could get into it before vomiting pic.twitter.com/zle0xQ5hoN

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 25, 2016

Oh and look how cold it is in Melbourne? Here’s Mattia Vitale looking for all the world like he’s about to start a riot.

Brrrrr! Photograph: Julian Smith/AAP

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