Tottenham Hotspur put on a commanding display in their Europa League opener, defeating Qarabag FK 3-0 despite being reduced to 10 men for nearly the entire match.
Spurs were forced to play with a man down after Radu Dragusin, deputizing for the suspended Cristian Romero, was shown a straight red card just seven minutes into the game.
Despite the setback, Tottenham responded impressively. Brennan Johnson fired the home side into the lead soon after Dragusin’s dismissal, giving them an important lead.
Spurs continued to press despite their numerical disadvantage, controlling the pace of the game against Qarabag.
And they doubled their lead early in the second half through Pape Matar Sarr, who smashed in a close-range finish to put the hosts firmly in control.
Qarabag had an immediate chance to claw their way back into the game when Yves Bissouma conceded a penalty, but Toral Bayramov wasted the opportunity, skying his effort into the stands.
Dominic Solanke added a third goal for Spurs, finishing off a rebound from Heung-min Son’s curling effort that was saved by Qarabag’s goalkeeper.
