MADRID: Real Madrid gave their quest for a 10th European Cup crown a major boost when Emmanuel Adebayor netted twice in a 4-0 destruction of 10-man Tottenham Hotspur in a Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Tuesday.Tottenham are making their debut in the competition but the London club’s chances of getting any further than the last eight were dealt a big blow when striker Peter Crouch was booked twice inside the first 15 minutes and received a red card.Real were already 1-0 up after Togo striker Adebayor out jumped his marker at a fourth-minute corner and sent a powerful downward header goal wards that neither keeper Heurelho Gomes or Luka Modric on the line could keep out.Adebayor added a second header in the 57th minute before Angel Di Maria lashed the best goal of the night with a powerful shot into the top corner in the 72nd and Cristiano Ronaldo completed the rout in the closing stages.
A giant flag reading “To the final, let’s go Madrid” and covering almost the entire first tier of the stands on one side of the stadium was unfurled before kick-off at the Bernabeu and Real began the game at a blistering tempo.BALE THREAT Spurs winger Gareth Bale, returning from injury, was the main threat for the visitors.The Welsh international dashed on to a long ball on the half hour and left Sergio Ramos in his wake before sending his angled shot into the side netting in what was probably Tottenham’s best chance of the game.The hosts laid siege to the Spurs goal in the second half and Adebayor, on loan from Manchester City, forced a fine save from Gomes with another header in the 66th minute as Real produced a slew of chances.Adebayor, who had a spell with Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal before joining City, has now scored 10 times against Spurs and was given a huge ovation when he was replaced by Gonzalo Higuain in the 75th minute.The second leg is at White Hart Lane next Wednesday and 2009 winners Barcelona or Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine await in the semifinals. – TOI
