A lesson in White Hart pain

ITALIANS are miserly with their player ratings; 7.5 out of 10 is usually the top mark. But after Gareth Bale’s second spectacular showing against the European champions, they may have to rewrite the rankings.

“An English Lesson” was the headline in the Gazzetta dello Sport, which awarded the Tottenham winger 8.5, an honour usually reserved for Lionel Messi at his best.

“Devastating: what else describes him? Not just one extra gear, but three of them. This time he didn’t score, but made others score: the complete article, a force of nature”.