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Villas-Boas thrilled with Bale display

9 February 2013 18:54

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has compared Gareth Bale to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bale continued his brilliant form this season with two goals in Spurs' 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday to take his league tally for the season to 13.

The 23-year-old's performances have attracted interest from European giants including Real Madrid, but Villas-Boas believes Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will do everything to keep the club's star man.

"Great teams are made of great individuals too," Villas-Boas said. "Gareth has been decisive and I'm happy to see him enjoying his football - but it's unfair to say we rely on him.

"Most teams have to hang on to their best players. Barcelona losing Messi would be a disaster, Real Madrid losing Ronaldo would be a disaster.

"There are no release clauses at English clubs and it's very difficult to negotiate with Tottenham - as you know."

Spurs would demand at least 50 million pounds for the attacker, who has featured in a more central role in recent weeks.

Villas-Boas has said Tottenham must qualify for next season's Champions League to have any chance of keeping Bale and he was delighted with his side's hard-fought victory over Newcastle.

The Portuguese manager dedicated the win to goalkeeping coach Tony Parks and his son Joe, who was seriously injured in a car accident this week.

"We have done our job today and closed one more league game to the end of the season. We worked exceptionally hard," he said.

"It's a win we want to dedicate to Joe Parks, who is in a coma after a car crash."

Newcastle confirmed France international Yoan Gouffran did not break his leg, after the goalscorer was carried off following an innocuous clash with Kyle Walker.

A club statement read: "Newcastle United are pleased to report that a precautionary X-ray has shown that Yoan Gouffran has not broken his right leg.

"The French forward was stretchered off during the second half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, and Gouffran will be further assessed on Sunday by the club's medical staff."

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Info

Competition
Premier League
Date
9 February 2013
Game week
26
Kick-off
13:45
Half-time
1 - 1
Full-time
2 - 1
Venue
White Hart Lane (London)
Attendance
36244

Goals

G. Bale 5'  
1 - 0
1 - 1
24' Y. Gouffran
 (assist by M. Sissoko)
G. Bale 78'  
2 - 1

Lineups

Substitutes

# Player Bookings
22
24
23 90+6'
8
13
25
37

Tuesday 18 June

Monday 17 June

23:55
23:12
21:13
21:09
20:39
20:37
20:35
19:36
19:20
19:16
18:53
18:36
18:35
17:59
17:43
17:33
17:23
17:17
16:54
16:20
16:14
16:11
15:52
15:45
15:32
14:33
13:22
13:11
12:57
12:55
11:59
11:47
11:09
10:09
07:20
07:19
06:47
03:53
03:07
01:53
01:39
00:17

Sunday 16 June

Premier League table

# Team MP D P
1 38 +43 89
2 38 +32 78
3 38 +36 75
4 38 +35 73
5 38 +20 72
6 38 +15 63
7 38 +28 61
8 38 -4 49
9 38 -4 46
10 38 -8 46
11 38 -17 44
12 38 -10 43
13 38 -11 42
14 38 -11 41
15 38 -22 41
16 38 -23 41
17 38 -13 39
18 38 -26 36
19 38 -30 28
20 38 -30 25

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