Tottenham defender Pedro Porro needs to find form quickly as the Lilywhites aim to rediscover their winning momentum
Tottenham were fortunate to leave the Aspmyra Stadium with a point, having been second best for large stretches of the game. The Lilywhites found themselves 2-0 down with just 20 minutes left on the clock and the momentum firmly against them. Credit, however, must go to Thomas Frank’s men for rallying late on and finding a way to claw back into the game, rescuing a draw in the final minutes.
Despite the team’s fighting spirit, several individual performances left much to be desired. Chief among them was Pedro Porro, who endured a torrid evening in Norway. The Spain international was consistently exposed by Bodo/Glimt winger Jens Petter Hauge, who had the measure of him throughout the match.
Both goals Spurs conceded came down Porro’s flank, as his poor defensive positioning allowed Hauge to take full advantage. The full-back was beaten far too easily on both occasions, once again underlining the defensive weaknesses that remain in his game when up against tricky wingers. To his credit, the 26-year-old did manage to somewhat redeem himself by providing the assist for Micky van de Ven’s goal in the 68th minute, which halved the deficit and sparked Spurs’ late comeback.
Pedro Porro had a game to forget for Tottenham in the UCL
Even so, the Champions League clash could go down as Porro’s worst performance in a Tottenham shirt. He looked miles off the pace defensively, made a number of unforced errors, and struggled to contain his opponent. It was surprising that Frank opted to keep him on for the full 90 minutes, given how much he was struggling.
After seeing how poor Porro was in Norway, Jamie O’Hara did not hold back in his assessment of the Spaniard’s performance. O’Hara (via TBR Football) said,
“Pedro Porro defensively was poor tonight. The two goals they scored. It’s him. He’s getting done. You can’t let your man just come inside and bend one in the top corner. Defensively, I don’t think he was at it.”
The ex-Spurs player added,
“Look, he hasn’t been great this season so far but you can’t say he wasn’t good last season. There were some games that he dug us out of some massive holes.”
Jamie O’Hara placed much of the blame for the goals on Pedro Porro, admitting his frustration with how easily the Spaniard was beaten on numerous occasions. However, he also backed the full-back to bounce back, just as he managed to do last season after a difficult spell.
Spurs face another massive test in the Premier League now as they take on Leeds United at Elland Road. It remains to be seen whether Thomas Frank opts to start Porro, or he keeps the 26-year-old away from the firing line and drops him. Going to Elland Road is never an easy task, so the prolific full-back will need to be at it from the start if he wants to maintain his place in the starting eleven.
