In what was simply an interesting encounter between two of Europe’s hottest teams, Tottenham Hotspur successfully managed an away draw against Italian champions Juventus.
The Champions League game looked set and match quite early, with home side Juventus netting two goals within ten minutes, thanks to Turin star Gonzalo Higuain. However, Spurs’ impressive performance after going 2-0 down was fully rewarding as the North London club got back into the game just before halftime with Harry Kane netting in the 35th minute.
The Lilywhites performed brilliantly well in the seocnd half and rightfully deserved the second goal as Christian Eriksen scored the equaliser in the 71st minute to hand Tottenham a priceless second away goal. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be confident prior to their second leg clash, thanks to their two away goal advantage.
Football Weeks‘ have highlighted how Tottenham stars fared on the night:
Hugo Lloris (7.5/10)
Couldn’t keep out Gonzalo Higuain’s efforts within the first ten minutes and was somewhat lucky to escape from conceding the third, when the Argentinian hit the post just before halftime. However, Lloris did make some decent saves later in the game to keep his side alive.
Serge Aurier (5/10)
A pathetic from the Ivorian just before halftime resulted in the Old Lady’s penalty, which could sealed the fate of his side. Aurier decision-making and the overall defensive game was poor while he also had some problems dealing with the pacy Douglas Costa on the far side.
Tottenham showed great spirit – and they are now favourites
— Ojo Olayiwola Adisa ?? (@Olayiwolar1) February 14, 2018
Davinson Sanchez (6/10)
Sanchez failed to perform brilliantly as a replacement to injured Toby Alderweireld as the Colombian star was completely outclassed by Juve’s attack in the first ten minutes. Sanchez also looked very wobbly in possession despite making a few good tackles later in the game.
Jan Vertonghen (6.5/10)
Despite a poor start to the game, Vertonghen remained calm and composed at the back as he guided his side from the backline. He performed brilliantly holding down Juve’s trickery attack.
Ben Davies (6/10)
Actually had a decent game playing on the left flank. Davies was good in dealing with the offensive threat of Juve’s attacking threat from Federico Bernardeschi, who failed to make an impression playing for the Serie A giants on the flanks.
Mousa Dembele (9/10)
The driving force in the midfield for Spurs. Moussa Dembele’s presence in the middle of the pitch prevented the likes of Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira to get a firm grip in the middle. Dembele’s ability to drift past opponents and carry the ball in the final third was useful as he acted as the transitional midfielder for Spurs.
Eric Dier (6/10)
Another player who played a versatile role for Spurs. Despite being used as a central defensive midfielder, Dier drifted into a deeper position to act as an auxiliary centre-back for his side. However, the England international looked quite awful and uncomfortable in dealing with offensive pressure from Juventus attackers.
Christian Eriksen (9/10)
One of the best performances he has put in throughout his Tottenham career, Christian Eriksen was an absolute masterclass in the final third. The Dutchman’s creativity and ball-carrying ability helped Spurs maintain pressure on Juve’s strong defence, despite going 2-0 down early on in the game. Eriksen was always on the lookout for that defence breaking pass and he succeeded on a few occasions. Eriksen showed a brilliant performance with a good low freekick which completely went through Gianluigi Buffon and the entire defence face.
Dele Alli (8/10)
The England international was always an option in the final third for Spurs. Dele Alli made some nice movements throughout the game, which offer his extrace space in the final third for Spurs’ attackers as well as unsettling the Juve defence.
Erik Lamela (6.5/10)
Failed to properly replace Heung-Min Son in the right-wing, who had to settle for a place on the bench. The Argentine looked promising at times but ultimately failed to make a stronger impression.
We can’t but admit Tottenham are progressing superbly than Arsenal.
— Ojo Olayiwola Adisa ?? (@Olayiwolar1) February 13, 2018
Harry Kane (9/10)
Harry Kane once again proved as to why he is regarded of the most the most highly forwards in the world. The England international proved to be a strong threat to the whole of Juven’s defence and even the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Mehdi Benatia couldn’t hold him down. Chiellini will be having nightmares about the Englishman’s later from the night. Not only did Kane score which raised Spurs fighting spirit but he also chipped in with some fantastic hold-up play just outside the box along with some great inward running.
Honourable mentions
Heung-Min Son, Lucas Moura and Victor Wanyama.