Champions League - Bale brilliance gives Spurs famous win
Gareth Bale was again in inspired form as Tottenham clinched a famous 3-1 win over Internazionale in their Champions League Group D clash at White Hart Lane.
Inter piled forward in an open second half, but a stunning run from the irrepressible Bale gave Peter Crouch a tap in to double Spurs' lead on the hour mark.
Samuel Eto'o reduced the deficit 10 minutes from time with a clinical strike, but more brilliance from Bale saw the Welshman provide a perfect assist for substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko to seal a memorable victory for Harry Redknapp's side.
Van der Vaart completed a surprise recovery from a hamstring injury, with Tom Huddlestone also returning to take the armband, while both sides made enforced changes in goal from the reverse fixture as Carlo Cudicini and Luca Castellazzi made their bows.
Redknapp had emphasised the need for Spurs to make a fast start after the ruthless treatment inflicted upon them by Inter in Milan, and his side took heed of his warning in an electric opening.
Eto'o saw a fierce strike brush off the side netting in the eighth minute, but Bale was busy giving Maicon a fearful roasting at the other end, skinning the full back seemingly at will.
Tottenham have racked up 15 goals in their last five European games, and that was swiftly increased to 16 in the 18th minute as Modric produced a touch of magic.
The Croat swivelled and sped through the Inter half, beating Muntari and drawing two Inter defenders towards him, before sliding an exquisite through ball into the path of the prolific Van der Vaart, who finished with aplomb. It was the Dutchman's sixth goal in 10 appearances for Spurs.
Crouch had the entirety of White Hart Lane holding its collective breath as he squandered a glorious chance to double the hosts' lead in the 25th minute: Bale zipped past Maicon yet again and dinked over a delightful cross, but the forward scuffed his shot wide of the far post.
But the threat which Inter posed never entirely evaporated, and the Milan-born Cudicini pulled off a magnificent save to preserve his side's slender advantage from Wesley Sneijder's sublime free-kick two minutes from the break.
Van der Vaart was forced off at the break after sustaining a recurrence of his hamstring injury, and Jermaine Jenas was introduced at his expense.
Inter enjoyed spells of possession, with Spurs able to counter at pace, and one such break saw Alan Hutton drift over a pinpoint delivery which Crouch met with a looping header, but Castellazzi was able to back-peddle frantically and tip over the bar.
Maicon simply could not contain Bale, and the Welshman terrorised the right back once more in the 61st minute to get to the byline with a barnstorming run and provide the simplest of finishes for Crouch to double the hosts' lead.
Four minutes later, Bale outstripped Jonathan Biabiany, Lucio and Maicon in another thrilling run down the left, only to see the ball drift fractionally out of play as he provided a near-identical assist for Crouch.
Rafael Benitez introduced Diego Milito in a desperate bid to arrest his side's slump, but it was his other striker who ensured that it would be a nervy finale as Eto'o left Hutton for dead and picked out the far corner of the net with an unerring finish.
Spurs were pushed under the cosh, but Bale showed his prodigious talent once more to streak clear and skin Maicon, then provide a goal on the proverbial platter for substitute Pavlyuchenko with a minute left on the clock.
Vociferous roars rang around White Hart Lane as the final whistle sounded, and the famous win lifts Tottenham above Benitez's Inter to the top of Group A, above the Italian giants on goal difference.
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