Fiorentina 1-1 Tottenham: Uefa Europa League last 32 - as it happened

Full time: Fiorentina 1-1 Tottenham

Advantage Tottenham as we reach half time in this last 32 tie. An away goal in the form of Nacer Chadli's penalty means that despite Federico Bernardeschi's deflected goal, Spurs go into the second leg as the favourites to progress. The hosts began slowly but were rewarded for their improvement after the break with an equaliser. All eyes on Dele Alli who avoided a red card in the first half but kept his calm, like his team, in the second half.

Well that is all we have time for on this live blog. We will have all the reaction from Florence to come but until next time, goodbye.

Fiorentina twice almost get the winner on the night. Vorm turns palms out Zarate's strike and from the resulting corner Rodriguez flicks a header wide of goal. Two big chances.

Alonso has the chance to cross from the left but Spurs snuff out the danger and Fiorentina get a corner. Tottenham, in the form of Kevin Wimmer, escape.

Goal: Villarreal 1-0 Napoli (Denis Suarez)

Fair to say this game is being firmly overshadowed by the events in Denmark, where Manchester United are being beaten by FC Midtjylland. Around eight minutes left there and in the rest of our ties from the 6pm kick-offs.

Goal: St Etienne 3-2 Basel (Jean-Christophe Bahebeck)

Fiorentina have made all three of their subs and the most recent of them, Vecino, tkes aim from range but Vorm keeps it out comfortably.

Goal: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Porto (Maro Reus)

Goal: Sevilla 3-0 Molde (Kevin Gameiro)

Harry Kane on for Heung-min Son with around 22 minutes remaining in Florence. The home side well on top, with Tottenham struggling to keep hold of the ball.

Goal: Anderlecht 1-0 Olympiakos (Kara Mbodji)

Much better from Fiorentina since the equaliser and that new-found confidence is highlighted by Marcos Alonso's effort from range, which balloons over the bar.

Goal: Fiorentina 1-1 Tottenham (Federico Bernardeschi)

Spurs seemingly cruising towards a first leg lead before they are hit by the sucker-punch. Bernardeschi is given time to shoot from range and via deflection off the outstretched foot of Mason is flies beyond Michel Vorm. The home side live again.

Not much has changed from the first half and Tottenham continue to dominate and they could have doubled the lead as Chadli scampers away, cuts inside onto his right foot but see Tatarusanu equal to his near-post effort.

Goal: St Etienne 2-2 Basel (Marc Janko)

Goal: Sevilla 2-0 Molde (Fernando Llorente)

Tom Carroll comes off at half time with Mousa Dembele coming on. Not the change that we might have expected. Game back under way and Spurs have the ball in the net as Son heads Eriksen's fres-kick in but he is flagged off side.

Naturally, plenty of attention on that incident involving Nenad Tomovic and Dele Alli, which saw the England midfield kick through the Fiorentina defender while he was grounded. Alli should have seen red but he remains on the field and the question is now how long with Pochettino persist with him?

Half time: Fiorentina 0-1 Tottenham

Not a half to store in the annuls of Europa League history but a good one for Spurs, who lead through Nacer Chadli's penalty. Fiorentina have been poor for long periods, with Mauro Zarate coming closest to testing the scorers but missing the target. Very little for Michel Vorm, the stand-in for Hugo Lloris, to do.

Mauro Zarate was sent off in the weekend win over Inter and maybe it is still praying on his mind as with a presentable chance to equalise with a minute left, he skies the ball over the bar.

Goal: Saint Etienne 2-1 Basel (Walter Samuel)

Goal: St Etienne 2-0 Basel (Kevin Monnet Paquet)

Does Davies standing on Tomovic's out-stretched foot constitute a foul? I am not convinced even if it was a poor looking challenge from the Fiorentina full-back. Meanwhile, the assault on Dele Alli continues after a horrible elbow into the chest from Zarate.

Goal: Fiorentina 0-1 Tottenham (Nacer Chadli)

Spurs get the away goal their first half performance has deserved, via the penalty spot. Nenad Tomovic dives in needlessly on Ben Davies as he cuts inside in the area, and the Welshman goes down under the challenge. Chadli deputises for Harry Kane, sending Tatarusanu the wrong way. Not totally convinced by the award of the spot kick, but Spurs will not be complaining.

Penalty to Tottenham

Goal: Sevilla 1-0 Molde (Fernando Llorente)

Tottenham's performance beginning to unravel and they should be behind. Alderweireld misjudges a cross from the left and the second ball roles the way of Zarate, who can't get his foot around the ball and it flies wide.

Dele Alli is very fortunate to still be on the field. He kicks through Tomovic while the Fiorentina full-back is on the floor. Felix Zwayer only brandishes a yellow card when it could easily have been more.

Another foul from Kevin Wimmer on Ilicic and he again escapes a yellow card. That must be the German's last life as Felix Zwayer keeps his cards in his pocket.

The first shot in anger and it comes from the visitors. Eriksen turns away in midfield and unleashes a fine effort from fully 30 yards which Tatarusanu pushes up and over the bar for a corner.

No doubt that Tottenham have begun the better in this game. Heung-min Son could have had the first shot on goal but failed to get his shot away amid a crowd of bodies. Now Ben Davies's cross is blocked. Spurs stirring.

We have the lowest scorers in the Serie A top four against the best defence in the Premier League, so maybe it isn't a total surprise that chances have been few and far between in this opening period. At last we have a yellow card as Astari takes down Alli, just as he was about to release Eriksen.

Dele Alli gets the wrong side of the Fiorentina midfield and has Chadli and Son either side of him, but he is totally wiped out by Rodriguez, which takes the sting out of the attack. No yellow card, amazingly.

The quality of the football in this opening 10 minutes is mirroring the quality of the atmosphere in the stands where the fans have not turned out in their droves. Spurs have been able to put their foot on the ball and have dominated possession so far, even if they have been able to put lone forward Nacer Chadli through.

Goal: St Etienne 1-0 Basel (Moustapha Bayal Sall)

Goal: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Porto: (Lukasz Piszczek)

First we have seen of Fiorentina, fourth in Serie A, in this game. Ilicic picks the ball up 25 yards from goal, as he likely to do throughout this game but his chip over the Spurs defence goes through to Vorm.

Fiorentina get their first look at Dele Alli as the England man probes down the left. He gets into the box but is stopped in his tracks by Tomovic.

That is the pre-match pleasantries out of the way and we're under way in Italy.

Players on their way out in Florence. Ryan Mason leads of Tottenham for the first time, in his first appearance since late November. The Stadio Artemio Franchi not exactly full for this one.

As we continue to build up towards kick-off, there is a big story coming out of Denmark where David de Gea has limped out of the Manchester United warm-up and has been replaced by Sergio Romero from the start. No third choice goalkeeper has travelled for the game. Make that a 14th injury for Louis van Gaal.

Mauricio Pochettino on BT Sport: "We have to try to be competitive and we have a strong squad. It is not important who plays. The team tries to play the normal way and our philosophy. Both teams are different today and it is true that it was tough lasts season. We were focused on the League Cup final but today they have new coach, new players and they play a different style. We expect a very difficult game. It is one year after and we need to compete."

The last 32 stage is of course the stage when the teams from the Champions League drop into the competition. Manchester United are of course among those, but our focus in Italy is on two teams who have been in the Europa League in recent years and even met last season. Tottenham were held at White Hart Lane before losing 2-0 away at Fiorentina as they were overwhelmed by the Italians. Spurs are a different challenge these days and probably go into this game as favourites.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that Tottenham's jaunt to Florence is not the only European game on tonight. After Fenerbahce's win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Tuesday, there are 15 other ties, seven of which are to come from 6pm. Our focus here surrounds the fortunes of Spurs and all the other games, but if you interested in Manchester United's trials in European second tier competition then go here for our live blog of their tie with FC Midtiylland.

Viola make four changes from the win over Inter Milan. Jakub Błaszczykowski and former West Ham forward Mauro Zarate are two of those to come in as does Nenad Tomovic and January signing Tino Costa.

Fiorentina: Tatarusanu, Gonzalo, Tomovic, Astori, Alonso, Costa, Kuba, Borja, Zarate, Bernardeschi, Ilicic

No news yet of the Fiorentina team selected by Paulo Sousa, who will know Tottenham well from his days as Swansea City manager. The former Portugal international never won the competition as a professional but of course twice claimed the European Cup with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

The six changes for Tottenham from the win over Manchester City tells you all you need to know about the club's priorities between now and the end of the season. In come Michel Vorm [who replaces the injured Hugo Lloris], Kieran Trippier, Ben Davies, Tom Carroll, captain on the night Ryan Mason and Nacr Chadli while, as previously mentioned, Harry Kane is on the bench.

BREAKING TEAM NEWS

Harry Kane not included in the Tottenham team from the start tonight. Left on the bench

Tottenham: Vorm; Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Davies; Carroll, Mason (C); Eriksen, Alli, Son; Chadli.

We're around 10 minutes or so from confirmation of the teams, but in the mean time how do we expect both sides to line up?

Well Tottenham are without goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who has a shoulder injury while Clinton Njie and Jan Vertonghen are long-term injury absentees. Michel Vorm is expected to deputise.

For Fiorentina, Facundo Roncaglia is suspended and Croatian midfielder Milan Badelj is likely to miss out with a thigh problem.

With a place in the Champions League now the main attraction for competitors in the Europa League, the continent's second tier club competition has been given added spice and with the trio of Premier League teams in this year's competition far from guaranteed a top four spot this season could finally see England's top flight take a tournament often undermined, seriously. Later, Liverpool travel to Augsberg but before that Manchester United and Tottenham restart their European campaign. Our focus will be on Spurs, who are riding high in the Premier League after beating Manchester City but face opposition in the form of Fiorentina who dumped them out of last year's competition. Team news ahead of an intriguing night for English clubs, on the way.