Defoe had a chance to win the game for Tottenham in injury time but though he stretched to connect with Bale's cross he could only poke the ball wide of the target from four yards out.
The Italy captain was caught in no-man's land early on, allowing Mats Hummels to poke goalwards only to see Andrea Pirlo scramble the ball off the line.
Van Persie was the creator with a superb pass that let in Samir Nasri, and when he lifted the ball over Gomes, Adebayor beat Alan Hutton in a straight race to poke home from almost on the goal-line.