On a night where Group D’s labyrinthine permutations could have seen them eliminated, Tottenham Hotspur qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Marseille. At one stage they were a goal down and staring down the reality of a Europa League return. But they ended the night in spectacular style with a winning goal deep into injury time, winning the group in the process.
Spurs were reintroduced to an old rival early on, as ex-Arsenal man Alexis Sanchez flashed a teasing header wide. The Chile international popped up against with a solid shot on the turn, but Hugo Lloris was equal to it. In between these two strikes, Sanchez’s former Manchester United teammate Eric Bailly went off injured. He was replaced by Samuel Gigot.
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Jonathan Clauss pulled a right-footed shot wide as Marseille took control of proceedings. Things went from bad to worse for Spurs when Heung-min Son was injured in an aerial collision with Chancel Mbemba. The popular forward underwent lengthy treatment for the blow, before leaving the pitch in some discomfort, but thankfully under his own power. Son was replaced by Yves Bissouma.
Jordan Veretout forced a brilliant save from Lloris, but his next significant impact would alter the course of this game. The ex-Aston Villa man picked up a short corner and whipped in a cross. Mbemba rose to power home a pitch-perfect header, sending the Orange Velodrome into raptures. The noise was deafening as Marseille dipped one tentative toe into the knockout stage.
Antonio Conte shuffled his deck at half time, bringing on Emerson Royal for Ryan Sessegnon. Tottenham started the second half more positively. Rodrigo Bentancur found Harry Kane in behind the Marseille defence for the first time, with Pau Lopez needing to palm it away from the striker.
Spurs’ positive start was ratified when Ivan Perisic delivered a pinpoint free kick for Clement Lenglet to nod home. It was an athletic take from the on-loan Barcelona man at a time where his team badly needed it. Almost straight after the restart, Lucas Moura burst down the right and flashed a cross just too far in front of Kane.
Clément Lenglet marks his 50th #UCL appearance with a huge goal to level things at the Stade Vélodrome!
Things are looking up...
Marseille showed their first real threat of the half when Perisic’s limp clearance fell to Harit. The Morocco international saw his shot deflected narrowly over the bar. Suddenly the Velodrome roar was back.
It was the travelling support roaring next when Kane broke free and slammed home a fine finish. Unfortunately for the visiting English, the forward was offside and the goal was disallowed. Bentancur’s short pass to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg saw the midfielder clatter the crossbar. Kane was clean through soon after before a superbly-timed tackle from Mbemba. Spurs were on top but their inability to kill the game caused nerves in their ranks.
A last-ditch block from Perisic did little to calm those nerves as Sanchez once again went close. The Velodrome cycled through the emotions, from belief to despair and back again, undulating along with the fortunes of their respective teams. Cengiz Under’s cross to Sead Kolasinac brought another cacophony of noise. The former Gunner bungled a free header at the back post to keep the score level.
An incredible finish saw Kane slot in Hojbjerg on the break, with the midfielder slamming home a superb finish to confirm Spurs’ qualification. It was a breathless moment of catharsis, and one that ensured Spurs would go through as group winners.
From on the verge of elimination to leading Group D, it was quite a turnaround for Conte’s men. Nothing came easy on an intense night in Marseille, with both the opposition and their fans willing an upset. But Tottenham kept their nerve, and their place in this season’s Champions League.
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