Tottenham star Radu Dragusin enjoyed a strong outing for Romania against Lithuania
Tottenham Hotspur stars have been impressing for their respective countries over the international break, much to the liking of Big Ange.
Radu Dragusin was in international action on Monday evening as Romania hosted Lithuania at the Steaua Stadium in their second UEFA Nations League group-stage fixture. After producing a commendable performance in his nation’s 3-0 win over Kosovo last week, the Tottenham Hotspur defender helped Romania to a 3-1 win against Lithuania.
Valentin Mihaila, Razvan Marin and Alexandru Mitrita scored the goals for the home side. Armandas Kucys’ equaliser in the first half eventually turned out to be a consolation for the visitors. Amidst Romania’s impressive show from the attackers, Radu Dragusin stole the limelight in defence.
-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25
Dragusin marshalled the backline as Mircea Lucescu’s side lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. The £85,000-per-week Spurs star made three clearances, one interception and won two duels. He had 47 touches on the ball and used it well, as evidenced by 40/41 completed passes. It also amounted to an incredible 98% pass accuracy. The 22-year-old also completed two out of three long balls. (Stats courtesy: SofaScore)
The Romanian was always on the front foot as he never stopped running and working hard off the ball. He was neat on the ball as well which helped the home side in keeping things ticking over. It was a massive improvement from the last game against Kosovo where Dragusin could only muster a 68% pass accuracy, underlining how dominant Romania were at home on Monday.
Overall, it was another strong outing in national team colours for the Spurs centre-back, building on his performance from the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Newcastle United away just before the international break. The hulky Romanian is yet to cement his status as a first-team starter at Spurs due to the presence of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, so it was vital that he completed 90 minutes in wins over Kosovo and Lithuania.
This should have boosted Dragusin’s confidence while keeping him fit and ready to tackle the upcoming taxing schedule after the international hiatus. Given how aggressively our players press and play on the front, injuries and suspensions are bound to happen in the coming weeks and months. So, the Bucharest-born talent is expected to play a lot of games across the entire campaign.
-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins
After helping his nation start the UEFA Nations League campaign in flying fashion, Dragusin will return to N17 where preparations for the big North London Derby are in full swing.