GOAL!!! 2-1! Bale with another thunderous free-kick! This time it’s from closer but his technique is still the same and so is the result with the ball flying past a bamboozled Vercoutre! There cannot be too many better players than him around at the moment!
90' +2
J. Livermore enters the game and replaces S. Parker.
88'
R. Ghezzal enters the game and replaces L. López.
87'
Grenier stand over a free kick in a promising area. He hits it inswinging which fellow second half substitute Sigurdsson clears away to safety.
85'
The home supporters are trying to get their side going again aware that a late goal now could turn out to be crucial in their hopes of reaching the last-16 of the competition.
83'
C. Grenier enters the game and replaces S. Malbranque.
Lyon have started to keep the ball well with Gomis continuing to bring his team-mates into the game when possible.
80'
G. Fofana gets yellow.
Brilliant determined play by Holtby in the middle of the pitch ends in Fofana pulling him down to the ground and giving away a free-kick. Spurs try to take the set piece quickly but the referee’s wants them to take it again as he’s giving the Lyon midfielder a booking.
79'
G. Sigurðsson enters the game and replaces A. Lennon.
78'
Another scrappy period in the game as both sides misplace passes in promising areas of the pitch.
75'
Gallas strives forward from his centre-back berth and plays the ball to Walker who tries to pass the ball to Lennon but his misplaced pass goes out for a throw-in to Lyon.
Minute
Description
72'
Less than twenty minutes to go in the match and both set of players are striving to get an advantage to take with them for next week’s return leg
70'
Walker gets forward yet again before whipping a ball in towards Adebayor at the near post but Lovren does well to stretch out and clear the ball away. The ball drops to Lennon but his attempted cross gets blocked.
68'
Gomis screams as he goes down under a rash tackle by Vertonghen and Lyon get a free kick from out wide. Lacazette plays the set piece in and the ball is flicked on by Gonalons and met by Lovren whose effort flies narrowly wide of Friedel’s post.
67'
L. Holtby enters the game and replaces C. Dempsey.
65'
Bale nearly grabs himself a second goal. Bale gets inside the box and sees his first effort blocked but the ball lands straight at his feet but he can only fire straight at Vercoutre who punches the ball away with both hands.
63'
Fantastic save! Lacazette drives forward right through the middle of the pitch and goes past a collection of Spurs tackles before firing a shot which looks like it’s heading in but Friedel palms the ball away. So close to a second goal in less than ten minutes for the visitors.
61'
The hosts look to get going again by passing the ball out from the back. However a string of passes come to nothing and the ball goes behind for a goal kick to the Ligue 1 outfit.
58'
That exquisite goal from Umtiti has really side his going and they look hungry for another away goal.
55'
S. Umtiti has scored a goal for Lyon!
GOAL!!! 1-1! Another absolute cracker! Malbranque whips in a dangerous cross which Gallas does well to head outside from his area. The ball drops to Umtiti who unleashes an thumping shot which flies past Friedel and into the back of the net to give his side an important away goal That was some strike from the 19-year-old left-back!
52'
Umtiti drills a backpass to Vercoutre who can only shin the ball halfway from inside in his own half but Spurs fail to create anything.
50'
Fofana plays a ball out wide to Gomis who exchanges passes with Lacazette before forcing Friedel in to making a comfortable save down low.
49'
K. Walker gets yellow.
Bit of a sluggish start to the second half with the referee blowing up on a regular basis to prevent any real flow to the game.
47'
Bale’s effort is blocked by Vercoutre who’s off his line briskly but the linesman is flagging for offside anyway.
46'
Lyon get us back off underway hoping to grab atleast a goal to take home to France with them.
45' +1
G. Bale has scored a goal for Tottenham Hotspur!
GOAL!!! 1-0 Spurs! Sublime free-kick from Bale! The Wales international stands over a free-kick which is around 35 yards out from goal. His effort flies over the wall and past Vercoutre. That was a sensational goal from a sensational player to give his side a lead just before the break.
44'
A long ball forward almost gets Adebayor clean in on goal but Milan Bisevac does well to clear the ball facing his own goal from just outside the box.
41'
Less than five minutes to go until half-time and despite it being goalless it’s been an open and end-to-end opening to the tie.
40'
Another half chance for the hosts. It’s their dangerman Gomis who tries to get a shot in from outside the box but his mishit effort fails to call Freidel into action.
38'
What a miss! Walker again gets forward well and cuts the ball back to Bale who looks like all he has to do is pass into the back of the net but he miss-hit’s the ball wide of the goal straight at Adebayor and the balls bounces into the grateful hands of Vercoutre.
35'
Loose ball by Assou-Ekotto falls to Gomis who passes it to Lacazette. However Assou-Ekotto does well to win back possession for his side. A clever piece of skill ends up in a long ball forward which looks like it might have Adebayor in but the linesmans flag’s up.
33'
Lyon are increasingly coming into the game. This time Lacazette runs inside from his wide position before laying the ball off to Lopez but the forward gets out muscled off the ball.
30'
Lacazette gets forward well but delays crossing the ball in giving Bale enough time to get back and block the ball behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
28'
Real chance! Dembele, who has started the game in blistering fashion, slides the ball through to Adebayor and the ex-Arsenal man tries to bend an effort just inside of the post but the ball whizzes wide of the outstretched Remy Vercoutre.
26'
The left-back is back on the pitch and ready to continue which is good news for him as he looks to re-establish himself as the club’s first-choice option at the back after a long spell out injured.
25'
Assou-Ekotto’s down on the floor receiving treatment after landing awkwardly in a challenge with Lacazette.
23'
Spurs boss Andre Villa-Boas won the Europa League two seasons ago when he was in charge of Porto - when current Atletico Madrid star Falcao fired the goals which helped them win the trophy.
21'
Coming up to the half-way point in the first half and it has been an exciting opening to the match. Spurs are looking to get on the front foot at every possible opportunity and have looked lively. However Lyon look dangerous on the counter and could well grab a themselves a vital away goal.
20'
S. Umtiti gets yellow.
19'
The visitors look to break from a Spurs corner and a better ball from Fofana would have seen Alexandre Lacazette in plenty of space and bearing down on Friedel’s goal but the pass is underhit.
17'
Walker play in Lennon whose pace looks to have taken him clear down the flank but Samuel Umtiti does well to lunge in and deflect the ball behind the corner, which ends up coming to nothing.
15'
Big penalty shout! Fofana releases Gomis who drives at Jan Vertonghen before cutting inside him in the area and going over the Belgium international’s outstretched leg. Replays show there was some contact there and on another day that could well have been given.
13'
First half chance for the hosts falls to Guieda Fofana. The midfielder does well to avoid being tackled before cutting but his attempt flies well over Brad Freidel’s net.
11'
Bafetimbi Gomis has started the game upfront on his own but has struggled to get himself in the game with his team-mates passing failing to get going so far.
9'
First real chance of the game. Assou-Ekotto drills a ball out to Aaron Lennon who control the ball before being tackled. The loose ball drops to Walker who whips in a cross which is met by the foot of Bale but his attempt sails well over.
7'
It’s close to a packed stadium tonight as Spurs look to continue on their way to what they hope is a successful season in the Europa League.
5'
Another smart move sees Gareth Bale play the ball to Dempsey who lays the ball off first time to Benoit Assou-Ekotto who runs with the ball before crossing the ball into a dangerous area. Anthony Reveillere gets himself in an awkward position before clearing behind for a corner which comes to nothing.
3'
Bright start with the hosts fizzing the ball around well. Mousa Dembele fires a ball at Kyle Walker who does well to win a free-kick. However, Clint Dempsey is pulled up for a foul when the ball gets played in.
1'
Tottenham kick us off with both teams hoping for a positive result to take into next week’s return leg in France.
Hello and welcome to Goal.com’s live play-by-play commentary of the Europa League last-32 first-leg clash between Tottenham and Lyon at White Hart Lane. Both sides head into the game on the back of differing results - Spurs beat Newcastle United 2-1 in the Premier League while Lyon lost 3-1 at home to Lille in Ligue 1.
All that means Hugo Lloris misses out on starting against his for side, with Andre Villa-Boas instead opting for Brad Friedel in goal, while Emmanuel Adebayor makes his first start since returning from the African Cup of Nations. As for the visitors, Steed Malbranque starts against his old side.
The players are just about to come out onto the pitch. Not too long until we’re off underway.
It’s the visitors who are really pushing forward in the final stages of the game. Vertonghen is forced to make a smart headed clearance with Gomis waiting to head the ball towards goal.
What a ball by Bale. Apart from his goal the ex-Southampton man’s been relatively quite but this time he bends in a cross which goes narrowly past Adebayor.
It’s that man again as Bale comes close to grabbing a late winner but his effort fails to get past Vercoutre.
That super goal from Bale was pretty much the last piece of action of a decent half of football. The north London side deserve their lead but will have to be wary of their opponents grabbing an away goal in the second half.
It’s all over as the referee blows his whistle. Three stunning goals light up White Hart Lane with Bale continuing with his blistering recent spell in front of goal and handing his side a 2-1 lead to take to France next week. Lyon played well and despite being a goal down, are still well in the tie.
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