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London - Inter Milan crashed to the first loss of its Champions League defense at Tottenham on Tuesday, with the London club going top of Group A after a convincing 3-1 victory.
While Rafael van der Vaart, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko provided the Spurs goals, it was Gareth Bale's electrifying pace that was instrumental to creating them and helping the home side overwhelm the holders.
"(Bale) is now one of our best players, every week he's strong and everyone's scared of him," Van der Vaart said. " Tuesday night he's up against Maicon, one of the best defenders in the world, and he's killed him."
Inter had threatened a late comeback when Samuel Eto'o netted his seventh goal in four European matches in the 80th minute, but Spurs - contesting their first Champions League campaign - held on to move ahead of the Italian champions on goal difference.
"From the first to the last we played unbelievably," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said. "We pressed them, outworked them, outplayed them all night. It was an amazing performance from every one of them.
"We're in a good position now. It was a big game, playing Inter Milan at White Hart Lane, and everyone was here, all the Spurs fans can look back on it."
White Hart Lane, though, has proved to be unhappy territory for Inter coach Rafa Benitez, who lost his last three fixtures in north London while charge of Liverpool. A change of clubs in the off-season provided no upturn in fortunes.
Whereas Inter hit three goals in the first 14 minutes against Spurs two weeks ago before prevailing 4-3, it was the Premier League club that inflicted the first blow of a high tempo encounter in London.
Bale was reproducing the devastating form that delivered Tottenham's face-saving hat trick in the San Siro, with the left-sided midfielder troubling Brazil right back Maicon throughout.
It was Bale's interchange with Benoit Assou-Ekotto that led to Luka Modric collecting the ball 30 meters (yards) from goal and the Croatian turned Sulley Muntari before releasing Van der Vaart.
The Netherlands international opened the scoring by striking through the arms of the diving Luca Castellazzi, who was filling in for injured first-choice goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Spurs could have gone further ahead in the 25th minute when Bale picked out Crouch at the far post, but the England striker connected with the outside of his right boot and skewed the ball across the virtually unprotected goal.
Spurs was without goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes after the Brazilian was sent off early in their last meeting, but his replacement, Carlo Cudicini, was rarely tested. He did produce a fine two-handed save just before half time, turning Wesley Sneijder's dipping free kick round the post.
Van der Vaart was replaced at half time by Jermaine Jenas due to a hamstring injury that nearly prevented him playing any part the game.
But Spurs continued to control its fourth Group A match and Bale audaciously tried to extend their lead after Castellazzi's weak punched clearance, sending an overhead kick just clear of the target.
Crouch came close again when a header from Alan Hutton's right-wing cross tipped over, but he finally found the target again thanks to another of Bale's powerful runs.
Obiora Nwankwo, who had just replaced by the injured Muntari, was unable to catch the rampaging Bale before he picked out Crouch six meters (yards) out to lash the ball into the net.
But as Inter's hopes of a comeback looked faint, Eto'o easily skipped past Hutton after latching onto Sneijder's pass and clipped the ball past Cudicini.
As nerves increased among the home fans, a near-carbon copy of Tottenham's second goal made it 3-1. Bale raced past Lucio, running onto the ball before crossing to Pavlyuchenko, who tapped home from close range.
"I just feel confident on the ball at the moment," Bale said. "The team is playing well, we showed that tonight and in recent games, and that lets me get forward. I'm just enjoying my football, trying to do what I do best and enjoying it."
