Tottenham took another step towards the Champions League knockout stages as Harry Kane's perfect hat-trick secured a 3-0 victory away against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus. Spurs were approaching the end of an awkward and uninspiring first half when Kane put them ahead with their first shot on target -- he then struck twice more in the space of five second-half minutes.
Mauricio Pochettino's side now have a comfortable cushion in Group H, sitting in second place with a six-point lead over both Borussia Dortmund and APOEL. That margin for error could be quite useful given that Tottenham's next two European clashes are against Real Madrid.
Positives
Pochettino was missing seven players for this trip to Cyprus, and six of them would arguably start in his strongest line-up. He will therefore be delighted to be heading back to London with another Champions League victory in the bag, and it is another result that speaks highly of Spurs' strength in depth.
Moussa Sissoko's assist for the second goal should give him further confidence as he continues his improvement, and Kieran Trippier's crossing was back on point, while Harry Winks is recovering the sharpness he had before his injury last season.
Negatives
Serge Aurier was disappointing, subbed off before the hour mark, while Hugo Lloris' kicking also shows little sign of improvement: he narrowly avoided a calamity in the first half.
Manager rating out of 10
8 -- Oversaw a vital victory with a host of notable absentees, and his decision to swap Aurier for Fernando Llorente before the hour was swiftly followed by two goals. Should he get credit for that or did he get his line-up wrong in the first place? He can have the benefit of the doubt.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Hugo Lloris, 6 -- Nearly made a costly gaffe when the game was goal-less, kicking the ball into Davinson Sanchez and watching as it rebounded back past his post. Having got away with that, the France international made a couple of smart saves.
DF Toby Alderweireld, 7 -- Looked shaky defensively in the first half and APOEL caused problems down Spurs' right side, but he set up the crucial opening goal with a low pass from back to front that dissected the midfield.
DF Davinson Sanchez, 7 -- Quietly effective again as he played his part in a third shut-out in five starts.
DF Ben Davies, 7 -- Moved to centre-back with a minimum of fuss, adopting the role he plays for Wales.
DF Serge Aurier, 5 -- Put in one good low cross but then failed to vary his attacking play, repeatedly trying to stick the ball in the box rather than using his pace. He then allowed Efstathios Aloneftis to get in behind him with the score at 1-0. Was substituted soon after.
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DF Kieran Trippier, 8 -- Put in two excellent crosses, one from each flank, to give Heung-Min Son and Kane headers at goal. The first chance was squandered, the second gobbled up. That is now two assists in two starts for Trippier after he also set up Dele Alli's winner against Barnsley last Tuesday.
MF Eric Dier, 7 -- Gave Spurs a solid base to their midfield diamond again and had a sniff of a goal after carrying the ball forward and seeing Kane's low cross intercepted just in front of him.
MF Harry Winks, 8 -- Buzzed with energy, getting on the ball as often as possible and showing both his pace and strength with a driving run forward in the first half. It is great to see him back in this form after finally shaking off the pain in his ankle.
MF Moussa Sissoko, 8 -- Built on his positive display at West Ham and laid on Spurs' second goal, bursting down the right flank before pulling the ball back intelligently to Kane. The France international also had a low shot saved and did his bit defensively.
MF Heung-Min Son, 6 -- Missed a good opportunity in the first half, heading over from Trippier's cross, but put Spurs on the front foot immediately after the break, getting in down the left side and sending a shot across goal.
FW Harry Kane, 10 -- Didn't get many chances but made them all count, scoring with his left foot, right foot and head. His coolly taken first goal was crucial, coming at a time when Spurs were struggling to make headway and being threatened at the back. It was a turning point and without it, things could have looked very different in Group H.
Substitutes
FW Fernando Llorente, 7 -- Replaced Aurier just before the hour-mark and helped to take attention away from Kane, who scored twice within 10 minutes of the Spaniard's introduction.
MF Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, NR -- Got a 15-minute run-out in place of Kane but was unable to advance his cause.
MF Anthony Georgiou, NR -- Made his Tottenham debut six minutes from time.
Source: espn.co.uk