As bad as Dragusin & Davies: Ange was let down by 3/10 Spurs dud who lost the ball 11x
Tottenham Hotspur’s recent Europa League match against Galatasaray will likely be remembered as one of their most peculiar performances this season.
In a game defined by inconsistent play, Tottenham showed brief signs of offensive threat, especially with Dominic Solanke’s second-half introduction, yet overall, their performance was largely disappointing.
While Will Lankshear’s first goal for the club provided a glimmer of positivity, his later red card marred the night for both him and the team.
Ange Postecoglou’s squad struggled in attack and looked disorganized defensively. Among the players whose performances were notably poor, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies faced severe criticism. Here’s a breakdown of the struggles they faced during this challenging European away game.
| Player | Positioning Errors | Impact on Goals | Press Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radu Dragusin | Consistently out of position; frequent fouls | Directly responsible for Osimhen’s goal due to a poor touch | 3/10 |
| Ben Davies | Poorly timed passes, particularly the one to Dragusin | Partially responsible for the second goal due to weak passing | 4/10 |
Facing an intense Galatasaray atmosphere, the Tottenham defense crumbled under pressure, especially with Dragusin’s recurring positioning errors and Davies’ flawed passing.
Dragusin often crashed into attackers, creating risky situations for his teammates. His error led directly to Victor Osimhen’s goal, giving the Nigerian striker an easy scoring opportunity.
Davies, while somewhat more restrained, struggled to match the pace and precision required, allowing Galatasaray attackers to bypass Tottenham’s defense easily. Both players’ performances were sharply criticized, with the Express’s Sam Smith giving Dragusin a rating of 3/10 and Davies a 4/10, underlining the extent of their defensive lapses.
James Maddison, Tottenham’s co-vice-captain, was another starter who failed to meet expectations. Despite his reputation for creating plays and scoring opportunities, Maddison had one of his weakest showings of the season.
Positioned centrally, then shifted wide in the second half, he struggled to impact the game positively. Instead, he frequently lost possession in critical areas and conceded the free-kick that led to Galatasaray’s opening goal.
| James Maddison’s Performance Metrics | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Minutes Played | 66 |
| Expected Assists | 0.01 |
| Accurate Crosses | 0/1 |
| Accurate Long Balls | 0/1 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Successful Dribbles | 1/4 |
| Successful Ground Duels | 6/12 |
| Lost Possession | 11 times |
| Dribbled Past | 1 time |
In 66 minutes, Maddison’s stats reflected a lack of influence on the match. His expected assists rate was minimal, and he missed all his attempted crosses and long balls.
He failed to register a shot, completed only one of his dribbles, lost half his ground duels, and lost possession 11 times. Sam Smith of the Express awarded him a 3/10, describing him as “wholly anonymous” and calling on him to rise to the occasion when the team is under pressure.
Ultimately, the match ended as a rough outing for Tottenham, but the struggles of Dragusin, Davies, and Maddison stood out as particularly detrimental to their Europa League campaign.
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