Madrid: Real Madrid delivered a scintillating performance to hammer Tottenham 4-0 after capitalising on a 15 minute red card to Peter Crouch.
Two goals from former Arsenal man Emmanuel Adebayor, a magnificent strike from Angel Di Maria and a late killer blow from Cristiano Ronaldo have put Jose Mourinho's side firmly in the driving seat ahead of next week's meeting at White Hart Lane, which now looks little more than a formality.
The team sheets proved to be the opening page on a script worthy of a Champions League quarter-final, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo both returning to Jose Mourinho’s side. Proof, as if it were needed, that the Special One was in no way expecting the easy ride that would be provided to his side in Madrid.
Harry Redknapp also deemed the clash worthy of risk with Gareth Bale and William Gallas, both sidelined for the stalemate at Wigan on Saturday, brought in. A possible gamble too far however left Aaron Lennon, who had looked a little lacklustre at the DW, unable to start despite being named in the original team sheet. Illness was the cause, as opposed to the hamstring injury that had plagued the winger in recent weeks but Jenas being brought in will have provided cold comfort for the Spurs supporters.
It was a luckless first half for Harry Redknapp's side, conceding to a powerful header from Adebayor after only four minutes and losing Peter Crouch, the man who had been included as the focal point for the entire team to aim for, to a sending off after quarter of an hour. Though it was stupidity on the striker's part, as opposed to ill-fortune, that sealed his fate.
It was a case of going from bad to the worst imaginable for the visitors as Adebayor doubled his lead to send Tottenham into collapse. Angel Di Maria hit a screamer with 20 minutes remaining and it was left to Cristiano Ronaldo, Tottenham's chief tormentor to make Madrid's lead unassailable.
Lennon's absence looked to have proved instantly damaging and Tottenham, who have made somewhat of a habit of making life difficult for themselves in the Champions League this season, couldn't have wished for a worse start. A couple of efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo, offered space by a team seemingly with stars in their eyes threatened early on but it was Adebayor, the former Arsenal man, to give the hosts the lead after only four minutes. The Togolese international had broken free from Jenas to power home from a whipped corner. The visitors needed a response.
It came, albeit tentatively, through a corner from the right-hand side. Crouch met the ball before anybody else but it's flightpath was far too high for even the towering target man to reach with any sort of dangerous intent. Certainly a sign of intent for Redknapp's side, whose task was looking ever more difficult.
Difficult was to be replaced by impossible in the eyes of those in dark blue as Crouch, having already been booked on the seventh minute for a lunge on Sergio Ramos, was sent off after a hellish quarter of an hour for the North London outfit following a lunge on Marcelo.
The Brazilian could hardly hide his delight following the decision but sympathy will be short in coming from all quarters for the England international, having jeapordised his side's chances in ludicrous fashion. It was the fastest sending off from two yellow cards in the competitions history, befitting a man with the most fouls in the tournament so far this campaign.
Tottenham's woes were not aided by the fact that Madrid were playing some sumptuous football, with Xabi Alonso dictating proceedings in the middle of midfield and Ronaldo, a man for the big occasion, tormenting the Spurs defence. For Gareth Bale, the man with the potential to tear the hosts, was merely a spectator, isolated by his side's inability to answer the questions posed to them by Mourinho's men.
Until the half hour mark, when, latching onto a sublime cross field ball by Michael Dawson, the Welshman beat Ramos for pace and darted into the box only to smash a low effort into Iker Casillas' side netting. A warning sign for Madrid and a glimmer of hope for Harry Redknapp, whose side were just about holding on despite a torrent of pressure from the side in white as the tie passed the half hour mark.
Having lost their most obvious outlet in Crouch, the Spurs midfield did indeed look a little stunted but Bale, whose pace looked to have in no way wilted as a result of his recent back injury was being used to exploit gaps at the back down the left hand channel and Tottenham finally looked to have settle with a coherent game plan, however hastily arranged it may have been.
The half ended, as is often the way, on a controversial note as Dawson looked to have handled in the area to block Angel Di Maria's 20-yard strike. The centre-half had been largely imperious for the opening 45 minutes but there can be little doubt that Spurs were fortunate as the referee waved away the hosts vociferous protests.
Redknapp's side had indeed offered spirit, but chances had predictatbly been few and far between. Jermain Defoe replaced Rafael Van der Vaart at half time, appearing unwilling to hold out for damage limitations for the second 45 minutes.
Mourinho's men began the second period in a fashion similar to the first, peppering the goal of Gomes with wave after wave of chances. Ronaldo went close once again from distance but Spurs were showing signs of resilience. It wasn't to last long however and it was Adebayor once again who doubled the home side's lead only 12 minutes after the interval.
Latching on to Marcelo's sublime ball with his head, Tottenham were in dire straits as the hour mark approached. Madrid's supporters waved white flags at the referees whistle, though in truth, it was the visitors that were looking prepared to surrender their Champions League status.
The goal invigorated the hosts and interchange of the ball in the Madrid midfield was a hark back to the Galactico days and Adebayor was so nearly the beneficiary of their build up, latching on to a pinpoint ball over the top to force a magnificent save from Gomes. It was looking more a case when, rather than if as Tottenham looked lifeless in response.
The inevitable came soon after and it was a moment of class befitting the occasion and the performance of the hosts with Di Maria, darting in from the right-hand lashing in an unstoppable strike in to the top corner. The lead was beginning to look unassailable and the gulf in class was troublingly clear under the harsh floodlights of the Bernabeu.
It was becoming a nightmare in Spurs' dream fixture as Ronaldo and Ramos caused havoc in the Spurs half and hopes of Wembley soon became even beyond the wildest hopes of the travelling Tottenham fans as Ronaldo, arguably the visitor's tormentor-in-chief rubbed salt in the wounds of Harry Redknapp's side with only three minutes remaining, hitting a limp volley beneath Gomes.
It was a fitting way to end a devastating defeat for Tottenham, who with a four goal deficit to make up, look dead and buried ahead of next week's clash in North London.
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