A dominant display saw Tottenham Hotspur run out 5-0 victors against an outclassed Dinamo Tbilisi side on Thursday evening. Spurs kicked things off at the Dinamo Arena in the Georgian capital, with Younes Kaboul as captain, to get their 2013/14 Europa League campaign underway. With Tbilisi showing early promise and purpose, they had the ball in the Spurs net in the fourth minute, but Dvali had long been called offside following Merebashvili's ball over the top. Three minutes later, both Soldado and Sigurdsson found themselves in good positions up front when confusion and a lack of communication in the Dinamo ranks almost allowed them to capitalise on a loose ball, but they managed to clear. In the eighth minute, strong running from Capoue drove Tottenham forward and the Frenchman found Paulinho who had Spurs' first effort at goal from twenty yards, but his effort was well over. Following the first corner of the game, which went to Dinamo Tbilisi after strong running from Grigalashvili, Spurs countered with Andros Townsend. The winger charged forward and struck a shot from just over twenty yards which flew in to Loria's bottom left hand corner to give Spurs a 12th minute lead. Capoue was found dawdling on the edge of the Spurs area in the 15th minute and Dvali capitalised to find himself one on one with Lloris. However, the striker was adjudged to have fouled the Frenchman and put his shot wide anyway. On the 17 minute mark, good work from Townsend down the right saw him cross in towards Soldado. A pair of Dinamo defenders teamed up to block the cross and prevent it from going out for a corner, but the ball did eventually fall to Soldado who tested Loria from a tight angle. Townsend was brought down on the edge of the Dinamo box in the 21st minute and required some treatment, but he was fine to continue. Gylfi Sigurdsson stepped up to take the resulting free kick and was inches away from doubling Tottenham's lead - the ball brushing the side netting on the left of Loria's goal. Twenty five minutes in and Dinamo came close to an equaliser. A waist-level cross was whipped in from the left-hand side by Kvirkvelia and Dvali stooped low to head fiercely towards the Spurs goal, forcing Hugo Lloris to react well to parry the ball out for a corner. Dinamo started to apply a little more pressure to Spurs for a couple of minutes, without really threatening, in what was their best spell of the match so far. The first yellow card of the game arrived in the 29th minute, as Khurtsilava was booked for a late foul on Sigurdsson. On the 32 minute mark, Capoue drove forward again powerfully, taking several Dinamo players out of the game before taking one touch too many, getting a little mixed up with Sigurdsson, and losing possession on the edge of the opposition penalty box. Two minutes later, it was Paulinho's turn to drive forward as Spurs started to really dominate. The Brazilian found Sigurdsson on the edge of the box, but the Icelandic midfielder's shot was blocked and Dinamo cleared. In the 36th minute, Spurs won their first corner of the game when the impressive Capoue found Danny Rose on the left. The full back beat his man and crossed low, forcing Loria to parry the ball out. Sigurdsson's corner was met by Michael Dawson, who headed wide. Mousa Dembele went in to the referee's book in the 37th minute for a strong challenge on Merebashvili in the centre circle that was deemed unfair, becoming the first Spurs player to be cautioned. In the 41st minute, Patrick Vouho was brought on to replace Xisco for Dinamo Tbilisi, after the Spaniard was forced off with a hamstring injury. Spurs doubled their lead in the 43rd minute with a beautifully worked goal. Kyle Naughton won possession in the Spurs half and set Townsend away down the right hand side. The winger turned Kvirkvelia inside out before dinking in a great cross for Paulinho who headed downwards in to the Dinamo net. One minute of added on time in the first half was announced as Dinamo kicked off following the goal and Spurs attacked again immediately. Sigurdsson lofted a free kick in to the Dinamo box which was cleared to Danny Rose who shot from 40 yards. The shot was blocked as the half time whistle went, with Spurs two goals to the good. Dinamo Tbilisi kicked off the second half having made one change, with Giorgi Papava having replaced Darko Glisic, and Spurs remaining unchanged. Dinamo created an early chance just a minute in to the half, with substitute Vouho played through on goal on the right, forcing Michael Dawson in to making a top quality last ditch tackle. Down the same right hand side, Danny Rose made a fantastic tackle on Grigalashvili in the 50th minute, as Tblisi continued to try to apply pressure early in the half. On the 51 minute mark, Grigalashvili went down under a challenge from Etienne Capoue and needed treatment. It looked to be a fair, strong challenge from the tough-tackling Frenchman and little contact with the player was evident. Great strong running from Dembele saw the Frenchman find Paulinho in the 56th minute. The Brazilian attempted a one-two with Soldado but it was cleared for a corner. The corner was immediately cleared and Grigalashvili combined with Dvali as Tbilisi surged forward. Ultimately, the ball ended up safely in Lloris' hands to bring the attack to an end. Spurs themselves countered immediately as Andros Townsend bolted down the right and squared the ball to Soldado. The Spaniard slotted his second goal in two competitive starts for Spurs to increase the lead to 3-0. From the resulting kick off, Dinamo attacked and Danny Rose was booked for a tackle on Khurtsilava. The free kick was crossed straight in to the welcoming hands of Hugo Lloris. Spurs made their first change of the game in the 61st minute with Nacer Chadli replacing Gylfi Sigurdsson. A rare burst forward from Michael Dawson followed a few seconds after Chadli's arrival, with the centre back reaching the Tbilisi penalty box and playing a one-two with Soldado. The return pass to the Englishman was blocked and cleared, however. A lovely Spurs move in the 64th minute ended with Townsend chipping a cheeky ball to Paulinho on the Tbilisi penalty spot. The Brazilian tried a flamboyant overhead kick which went high and wide. But less than a minute later, Spurs had the ball in the back of the net yet again. Nacer Chadli found himself in possession on the left hand side and the Belgian played the ball backwards to Danny Rose who sent a rocket in to the top corner from more than twenty yards out - it was the full back's first Spurs goal since he scored a screamer on his full debut against Arsenal back in April 2010. Another minute later and it was 5-0. Nacer Chadli had possession on the left again and crossed in brilliantly for Roberto Soldado to tap home from 6 yards. Merebashvili tested Hugo Lloris a few seconds after Tbilisi kicked off. The midfielder's twenty yard effort was hit straight at Lloris, however. Spurs made a double change in the 71st minute, with Tom Carroll and Harry Kane replacing Paulinho and Roberto Soldado. Soon after, following a failed Tbilisi attack, Andros Townsend ran the length of the pitch on a counter-attack. Having taken several Dinamo players out of the game, an unfortunate bobble meant that his shot from the edge of the box went very wide. A minute later, Khurtsilava burst forward for Dinamo. The full back made it in to the Spurs box and crossed for Dvali whose shot was hit straight at Hugo Lloris, who dropped down to save with his legs. Dinamo made their final change in the 81st minute with Romanian international Dorin Goga replacing Dzaria. Lloris made a fantastic save in the 82nd minute when Grigalashvili broke free in the box. The midfielder's low drive was destined for the bottom corner but the keeper reacted quickly to drop low and parry it wide. A minute later, Chadli on the left yet again crossed for Harry Kane. The youngster lost his marker and headed against the post from 8 yards. Grigalashvili broke down the right in the 85th minute and crossed for Vouho. The Ivorian sent his shot wide from 10 yards when he should have at least hit the target. Dinamo threatened down the right a couple more times in the dying minutes, first with Kaboul thwarting Dvali and then with Merebashvili running in to a pair of Spurs defenders, as Spurs looked to see the game out with a clean sheet. One minute of added time was announced and Spurs ran down the clock in constant possession to end the game as 5-0 victors in a very impressive and thorough all round display.
Referee: Pol van Boekel. Attendance: 22,500.
Dinamo Tbilisi:Loria; Glisic (Papava, 46), Khurtsilava, Kvaratskhelia, Gvelesiani; Merebashvili, Dzaria (Goga, 81), Kvirkvelia, Grigalashvili; Dvali, Xisco (Vouho, 41).
Tottenham Hotspur:Lloris; Naughton, Dawson, Kaboul, Rose; Capoue, Paulinho (Carroll, 71); Townsend, Dembele, Sigurdsson (Chadli, 61); Soldado (Kane, 71).