Tottenham endured an evening to forget in Madrid, with Real able to secure a 4-0 first-leg lead in the UEFA Champions League.
Crouch dismissed as Adebayor double dents Tottenham's dream
Tottenham endured an evening to forget in Madrid on Tuesday, with Real able to secure a 4-0 first-leg lead in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The Primera Liga giants eased to a comprehensive success courtesy of a brace from former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, a spectacular effort from Angel Di Maria and a late volley from the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spurs arrived in the Spanish capital full of hope, but saw that optimism disperse inside the opening 15 minutes at Santiago Bernabeu.
Aaron Lennon was forced to withdraw from the action prior to kick-off, with illness ruling him out.
Then, inside five minutes, Tottenham found themselves behind as Adebayor was left all alone at a corner and forced a header through Luka Modric on the line.
Things got worse for Harry Redknapp's side 10 minutes later, as Peter Crouch, who was cautioned early on for a foul on Sergio Ramos, lunged into a tackle on Marcelo and was sent for an early bath.
Spurs held on manfully for the remainder of the first half, but saw Real double their lead on 57 minutes as Adebayor again rose highest in the box to power another header past Heurelho Gomes.
Argentine playmaker Di Maria then settled the game, and possibly the tie, on 72 minutes as he cut inside Benoit Assou-Ekotto and rifled the ball high into the top corner.
There was still time for more, though, and Ronaldo bagged his 38th goal of a remarkable season three minutes from time, beating Gomes at his near post.
Epic
Before kick-off, the 3,000-plus Tottenham fans filed into the Bernabeu hoping that they would witness another epic night in what has been a remarkable debut season in the competition.
They were lifted by good news from the treatment room about Gareth Bale and William Gallas, who were both passed fit despite injury worries.
Tottenham were dealt a blow before a ball had been kicked, though, when Lennon was replaced by Jermaine Jenas in the starting XI after falling ill in the warm-up.
The visitors came out of the blocks at a blistering pace, with Ronaldo dancing past the away defence before powering a fierce shot wide.
Just four minutes and one second had elapsed before Real opened the scoring.
Adebayor got in front of Jenas and slipped a header past Gomes. Modric was at the far post but he could not stop the ball squirming in and Adebayor had the opener against the bitter rivals of his former employers.
A late challenge from Crouch on Ramos deep in Real's half earned him a booking soon after.
Adebayor, buoyed by his early strike, constantly probed the Spurs back four, looking for a quick second while Mesut Ozil and Ronaldo looked dangerous.
Real's cause was helped when Crouch was given his marching orders 15 minutes in for a second booking after a late and needless challenge on Marcelo, again deep inside the hosts' half.
Isolated
Rafael van der Vaart was pushed up front, but he looked isolated and frustrated, earning a booking for petulantly kicking the ball away as Real prepared to take a free-kick.
It looked like only a matter of time before Real doubled their advantage, as Tottenham came under intense pressure.
Ronaldo sneaked in behind the back four and fired a volley at Gomes and the brilliant Marcelo was giving Vedran Corluka a torrid time at right-back.
Bale was unleashed for the first time 28 minutes in, bursting down the left, but he had three markers on him instantly.
Spurs had a golden chance to draw level just before the half-hour when Bale found Van der Vaart in the box with a flat throw, but he was denied by a block from Ricardo Carvalho.
Another glimmer of hope came Spurs' way a minute later when Michael Dawson released Bale down the flank, but he drove into the side-netting.
Spurs started to look more comfortable on the ball, but Real still looked far more dangerous.
Marcelo fizzed a cross to the back post which Ramos headed just out of Adebayor's reach at the back post.
Modric threaded Bale down the left once more and he looked to have beaten Pepe, but the Portuguese player slid in, clipping the Welshman's feet and earning a booking.
Lively
Real were adamant they should have had a penalty five minutes before the break when Dawson charged down a volley with his arms raised, but the referee waved play on.
Redknapp injected some pace into his attack by replacing Van der Vaart with Jermain Defoe at half-time. The striker looked lively, but Real's ascendancy was shown when Adebayor grabbed his second after angling a header past Gomes from Marcelo's cross to make it 2-0.
Only a brilliant tip-over from Gomes prevented Adebayor from netting his third, as the hosts laid siege to the away goal.
Gomes was made to pay for punching at a cross when the ball found its way to Di Maria and he unleashed a beautiful 20-yard curler past the Brazilian for the hosts' third after 72 minutes.
Defoe saw yellow for a high foot on Ramos before Adebayor received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Gonzalo Higuain with 15 minutes left.
Real's strength in depth was shown minutes later when £56million forward Kaka came on for Di Maria towards the end while Corluka limped off to be replaced by Sebastien Bassong.
Mourinho barked orders to his players, urging them to find a fourth and Ramos came close to obliging with a drive that whistled just wide.
The killer blow came three minutes from the end, when Ronaldo got the goal his performance deserved, rifling a 20-yard volley past Gomes from Kaka's cross.
| Real Madrid |
Team Statistics |
Tottenham Hotspur |
| 4 |
Goals |
0 |
| 1 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 10 |
Shots on Target |
1 |
| 15 |
Shots off Target |
3 |
| 11 |
Blocked Shots |
0 |
| 9 |
Corners |
3 |
| 10 |
Fouls |
10 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
1 |
| 90.3 |
Passing Success |
68.2 |
| 16 |
Tackles |
23 |
| 81.2 |
Tackles Success |
69.6 |
| 72 |
Possession |
28 |
| 76.1 |
Territorial Advantage |
23.9 |
|
