Carlos Vinicius scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Ludogorets 4-0 in their Europa League Group J clash on Thursday night. Harry Winks added the third goal with an outrageous shot from 53.7 yards while Lucas Moura rounded off the win with a strike of his own as Spurs moved closer to securing a knockout spot.
Jose Mourinho made as many as 10 changes from the squad that beat Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend. However, there was no dip in their performance which must have given the Portuguese a lot of confidence.
Vinicius scored the opener in the 16th minute after benefitting from a deflected pass from Dele Alli who was also responsible for the former’s second goal after cutting the ball back for a tap in.
Spurs bossed the game with over 60 per cent possession and it was this confidence that resulted in Winks attempting a long-rage goal in the 63rd minute and being rewarded for it.
Alli and Vinicius played an intrinsic role in the fourth goal as well allowing Moura to find the back of the net in the 73rd minute. The win moves Spurs on level terms with group leader Royal Antwerps on nine points.
Winks revealed his stunning effort was in fact a fluke rather than a planned goal.
“I’d love to sit here and say that I did, but I’ve got to be honest and say no,” he told BT Sport. “I saw Gaz (Gareth Bale) run in. I’ll take it at the end of the day. It has been a while [since I last scored] but I am happy with the way the team played.”
Mourinho was not happy with the revelation though. “He is too honest! I am not happy with him! With a goal like that you have to say you meant it, but a good kid. He is honest,” he said.