Tottenham 2-1 Athletic Bilbao: Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe stake claim for starting place as Spurs end pre-season preparations with win

A turgid first half contrasted vividly with the second, with a host of changes that closer resembled Harry Redknapp’s more-likely starting lineup, overturning a 1-0 half-time deficit.

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It was Niko Kranjcar who could have perhaps opened the scoring early on yet, when Aaron Lennon was released down the right by an incisive Jermaine Jenas pass, the Croatian steered the cut-back wide of the upright when he really should have hit the target.

Steven Pienaar was withdrawn halfway through the first half with wantaway Luka Modric entering the fray to rapturous applause that rang around White Hart Lane.

The buoyancy abruptly came to an end though, after Bilbao broke the deadlock instantaneously, Mikel San Jose finishing smartly after a corner took a nick off Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Whether the goal knocked the bluster out of Tottenham remains questionable, with Harry Redknapp’s side struggling to get going thereafter, labouring through to the interval having crafted nothing that gave the visitors any discomfort.

The changes were rung in the second half, as Gareth Bale, Peter Crouch, Brad Friedel, Younes Kaboul, Jermain Defoe and Kyle Walker all joining the action – with Spurs instantly becoming more vibrant and animated in possession.

It took just four minutes for Spurs to draw level, with Crouch improvising well after losing his footing to convert Bale’s cross.

Moments later Defoe got in on the act as Lennon reacted fastest to a loose ball in the box and squared for the striker to finish with aplomb into the roof of the net.

Rumoured Spurs target Fernando Llorentes rattled the post before Kranjcar had a penalty saved after Lennon was sent sprawling in the box.

From there on Spurs coasted to a 2-1 victory in the final pre-season friendly before next Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Everton.