Mueez Ajao
– Hojbjerg goal earns Tottenham draw with Rennes
– Substitute Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s equaliser allowed Tottenham Hotspur to come away with a 2-2 draw from their trip to France to play Rennes in the new Europa Conference League on Thursday.
– Loic Bade’s own goal had given Spurs the lead in an entertaining encounter in Brittany but Flavien Tait equalised and Gaetan Laborde put Rennes ahead in the 72nd minute.
– That lead was swiftly cancelled out by Hojbjerg and in the circumstances, it is a good result for Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham side, who were on the rebound from their 3-0 drubbing at Crystal Palace last weekend.
– The result also pleased the Rennes support who, frustrated at recent performances, had unfurled a giant banner before kick-off with the message in English: “Are you ready to fight?”
– While finishing in the Premier League top four and returning to the Champions League has to take priority for Spurs, they would be wise not to neglect a competition that offers a realistic route to silverware for a club that has not won anything since the League Cup in 2008.
– Their next game in group G is against Slovenian champions Mura, on paper the weakest team in the group and who lost 2-0 at home to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem on Thursday.
– However, this was hardly a smooth trip to France for Tottenham before they face Chelsea at the weekend.
– They were forced to spend Wednesday night 100 kilometres away in the town of Saint-Brieuc because an international farming exhibition in Rennes this week meant a shortage of hotel rooms.
– Nuno then lost both his starting wingers, Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura, to knocks during the game.
– The Conference League is the new third-tier of European club competition.
