Hugo Lloris believes Tottenham’s Champions League comeback win over Marseille highlighted the rising personality amongst his team-mates, however Paul Merson warns they can’t maintain counting on fightbacks.
Antonio Conte’s aspect grabbed an unlikely last-gasp 2-1 victory on the Stade Velodrome to achieve the Champions League final 16 as Group D winners after a nerve-jangling climax.
The Londoners, who wanted solely to keep away from defeat to undergo, endured a first-half siege and trailed to Chancel Mbemba’s header in stoppage time earlier than the break. However, Clement Lenglet proved to be Tottenham’s saviour when he headed in his first objective for the membership in the 54th minute to stage.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then sealed the victory in stoppage time to place Tottenham prime of the group and depart Marseille, who at one stage of the night sat prime, in fourth spot and out of Europe.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg celebrates a late winner
“To be honest, we expected that type of game. The Stade Velodrome is a very difficult place to deal with and I think we showed great personality,” Lloris mentioned.
“Clement (Lenglet) scored an important objective in France, in entrance of the French individuals. The second objective from Pierre (Hojbjerg) confirmed issues for the group. We did not play nicely throughout the first half. Maybe we did not know what would occur if we assault. It wasn’t good for us to play this sort of first half.
“We converse in the locker room – we begin the second half with rather more personality and aggressive. We play an excellent second half.
“It was a tough night, a great battle and even more psychological battle because we could feel in the first half a team was playing without the fear to lose, it was Marseille, and in the second half we face a team with the fear to lose.”
Harry Kane and his Tottenham teammates celebrated their progress in the Champions League with some dancing in the altering room!
Merson: Spurs via however should enhance
Paul Merson reacts to Tottenham’s late win away in Marseille which despatched them via to the knockout phases of the Champions League as group winners
It was a outcome that hardly appeared attainable in the opening 45 minutes as Spurs appeared dazed and confused by Marseille’s relentless onslaught.
Spurs, who misplaced ahead Heung-Min Son to a head harm in a torrid opening interval, have been a unique proposition after the interval and took management after Lenglet’s equaliser. Hojbjerg struck the crossbar for the guests however Marseille ought to have scored late on when Sead Kolasinac by some means missed an open objective with a header.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Tottenham must enhance if they’re to progress any additional in the competitors having reached the last-16 stage.
Tottenham defender Ben Davies says the squad are delighted to achieve the knockout phases of the Champions League after a 2-1 victory in Marseille
“Spurs couldn’t put three passes together in the first half,” Merson advised Soccer Special. “As soon as they started putting more passes together the game opened up for them and they were a threat. They managed the game well.
“Tottenham did very nicely in the second half however once you get to the final 16 you may’t maintain giving groups head begins. It will meet up with you before later.
“When the shackles are off and the fear factor goes out of the game, Spurs have some good players who can move the ball about very quickly. But they don’t do that, they sit back. Kane was literally 35 yards from his own goal in the first half. They didn’t have an outlet; they’ve got to take a chance sometimes. It’s too negative for me.
“You cannot maintain giving groups head begins. They’ve been lucky in a few video games like Bournemouth on Saturday and once more right this moment towards a mean crew in Marseille.”
Son ‘feeling better’ but head injury to be assessed
Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son leaves the sector injured
Tottenham will wait till Wednesday to evaluate the extent of the harm suffered by Heung-Min Son in the Champions League win at Marseille.
The South Korean went off in the primary half on the Stade Velodrome after a collision with Chancel Mbemba and appeared very wobbly as he left the pitch.
Spurs went on to ebook their place in the final 16 with a last-gasp 2-1 win as second-half objectives from Clement Lenglet and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg overturned Mbemba’s first-half opener.
But the harm to Son is a fear, particularly with the Premier League conflict with Liverpool developing on Sunday, whereas he may have worries over the forthcoming World Cup.
Assistant head coach Cristian Stellini, standing in for the banned Antonio Conte, mentioned: “In this moment we don’t know. We have to wait for a medical assessment. Sonny feels better now. I saw him in the dressing room, he celebrated with us.
“In this second we do not know. We have to attend for a medical evaluation and we now have to attend till tomorrow.
Son leaves the sector halfway via the primary half
“We are not sure if he is concussed. It is Son’s face. His eye is a bit swollen.”
Spurs’ place in the final 16 was not assured till Hojbjerg gained it with the final kick of the sport to seal prime spot in Group D.
With Marseille needing a win to undergo and a defeat knocking Spurs out, it was a night of jeopardy for the Premier League aspect in a hostile atmosphere in Provence.
Conte, who celebrates one 12 months in cost on Wednesday, was compelled to look at from the stands as a result of his purple card after the VAR controversy towards Sporting Lisbon final week, which meant Tottenham’s qualification destiny went all the way down to the ultimate recreation.
Lenglet celebrates after scoring at Marseille
And the Italian was put via the wringer as his aspect produced a listless first-half efficiency, deservedly falling behind to Mbemba’s header.
The second half was a unique story, although, and Lenglet put Spurs again in management with a header of his personal in the 54th minute.
But with Marseille needing only one objective to ship them out, it was a nervy night till Hojbjerg’s late intervention.
And it was not a night Conte loved.
Stellini added: “I had the possibility to talk with Antonio. He was very tired. He lived the game in the crowd, it’s not normal.
“Maybe he spent extra vitality in the stands than he usually spends on the touchline.
“It was very tough the primary half. In the difficulties, we did not lose our minds. We stayed in the match. It was horrible the objective we conceded as a result of from a nook they took it rapidly and we weren’t ready.
Tottenham defender Eric Dier says it was a brand new expertise to not have his supervisor, Antonio Conte on the touchline throughout their 2-1 Champions League win in Marseille
“It is an important lesson for the future. But in the second half, something changed and we spoke in the dressing about the energy we need in the second half and the way we have to press them and counter the game.
“In this sort of stadium and this sort of match, a knockout, it isn’t very straightforward.
“The stadium was very hot in the first half and sometimes it is normal to give the possibility to the opponent to play, to use the energy you have in the second half. It could also be a strategy.
“We have to attempt to play all of the 90 minutes in the identical stage.”
Which teams are already through to the last 16?
Hojbjerg celebrates his late winner in Marseille
- Bayern Munich*
- Benfica
- Chelsea*
- Club Brugge
- Dortmund
- Frankfurt
- Inter Milan
- Liverpool
- Manchester City*
- Napoli*
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Porto*
- Real Madrid
- Tottenham*
*signifies sides who will certainly be seeded in the last-16 draw
What’s subsequent?
Sunday sixth November 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
Tottenham have three extra fixtures forward of the World Cup. They face Liverpool on Super Sunday this weekend, reside on Sky Sports from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm. They will then face Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday November 9 earlier than their remaining Premier League match towards Leeds on Saturday November 12; kick-off 3pm.
Marseille have two additional Ligue 1 fixtures forward of the break – they face Lyon on Sunday earlier than a visit to Monaco on Sunday November 13.
The draw for the final 16 of the Champions League can be held at 11am on Monday, November 7, on the House of European Football at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland.
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