Spurs follow familiar pattern on way to UCL knockouts

Tottenham Hotspur survived a scare successful Marseille earlier warring backmost to triumph 2-1 astatine the Stade Velodrome connected Tuesday and clinch a spot successful the Champions League past 16 arsenic radical winners.

Spurs, with manager Antonio Conte serving a one-game suspension from the touchline, went down the French broadside successful stoppage clip of the archetypal fractional acknowledgment to Chancel Mbemba's header.

- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, much (U.S.)

But contempt losing Son Heung-Min to an aboriginal caput injury, Tottenham turned things astir astatine the commencement of the 2nd fractional and equalized done Clement Lenglet successful the 54th minute.

As they held connected for a constituent that would person been capable to progress, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg struck with the past footwear of the crippled to corroborate Tottenham's spot successful the knockout stage.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Ex-Arsenal stars can't derail Tottenham's Champions League run

The ex-Arsenal contingent did their champion but Tottenham survived. Former Gunners defender Sead Kolasinac, connected arsenic a substitute, had an 87th-minute escaped header 5 yards retired astatine the backmost station to efficaciously sound Spurs retired of the Champions League but helium someway enactment it wide. Nuno Tavares, connected indebtedness from Tottenham's northbound London rivals this season, past fired implicit successful stoppage-time.

Two much players from Arsenal's past, Matteo Guendouzi and Alexis Sanchez, probed passim but Spurs got the triumph they needed to scope the past 16 courtesy of Clement Lenglet's 54th-minute header and a stoppage-time victor from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. After pipping their fierce rivals to suffice for this contention past season, they survived an almighty scare from Arsenal's past to enactment successful it.

Spurs walked a tightrope astatine times present but a nighttime of precocious play ended with the gleeful travelling supporters singing: "Are you watching Arsenal?"

2. The Conte caution/comeback conundrum

Antonio Conte whitethorn not person been capable to power this lucifer arsenic it happened fixed a one-match suspension but this followed an all-too acquainted pattern: dilatory commencement and autumn behind, but equine a stirring second-half comeback.

Tuesday's effect was the ninth clip successful 12 games that Spurs person conceded the archetypal goal. Three days aft coming from 2-0 down to bushed AFC Bournemouth 3-2 triumph a stoppage-time winner, Spurs recovered from an astir painfully passive opening 45 minutes to unafraid a melodramatic triumph astatine Marseille.

Their archetypal fractional xG was 0.05. They failed to person a azygous interaction successful Marseille's box, lone the 3rd clip that has happened successful the archetypal fractional of a Champions League lucifer this play (Rangers and Maccabi Haifa were the different two). And yet, aft falling down to Chancel Mbemba's header connected the changeable of half-time, they rallied impressively to equalise done Lenglet, connected his 50th Champions League appearance, earlier sitting disconnected their opponents again and exploiting abstraction connected the counter-attack arsenic Marseille probed for a winner.

Spurs were excessively cautious aboriginal connected and rode their luck successful a mode which suggests this high-wire enactment whitethorn yet trigger a autumn but for present the results leaves Conte successful credit.

3. Son's wounded scare adds to Tottenham's attacking problems

Son Heung-min was forced disconnected successful the archetypal fractional pursuing a lengthy stoppage with what appeared to beryllium concussion pursuing an aerial situation with Mbemba. Further tests volition find the grade of the occupation but fixed the applicable Premier League protocols, Son could perchance beryllium sidelined for Sunday's immense clash with Liverpool.

Tottenham are already without Dejan Kulusevski owed to a thigh wounded portion Richarlison suffered a calf strain which makes him a large uncertainty for Sunday's game. Son and Harry Kane's dynamic narration is good documented but Spurs' reliance connected the England skipper volition lone beryllium heightened if the supporting formed astir him is weakened arsenic feared.

Player ratings

Marseille: Pau Lopez 6, Mbemba 7, Bailly 5, Balerdi 6, Rongier 6, Veretout 6, Clauss 6, Guendouzi 6, Harit 7, Tavares 5, Sanchez 6.
Subs: Gigot 6, Kolasinac 5, Under 6, Kabore 6, Suarez 6.

Tottenham: Lloris 7, Dier 7, Lenglet 7, Davies 7, Perisic 6, Bentancur 7, Hojbjerg 7, Sessegnon 4, Moura 7, Kane 6, Son 6.
Subs: Bissouma 6, Royal 7, Skipp 6, Gil 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tottenham.

Helped interruption up play to stifle Marseille but inactive had the vigor to get upfield and nett a melodramatic triumph which secured apical spot successful Group D.

WORST: Ryan Sessegnon, Tottenham.
Started successful an antithetic close wing-back presumption and struggled badly, clumsily fouling Nuno Tavares aboriginal connected earlier switching flanks with Perisic and being hauled disconnected astatine half-time.

Highlights and notable moments

Spurs supporters were sweating until this last infinitesimal that clinched their spot successful the adjacent round.

Confirmed for the circular of 16 ✅
🏆 Most apt to spell each the way? #UCL pic.twitter.com/HzdOQvMO78

Two much spots near successful with 1 last time of games tomorrow. Who'll shall it be?

After the match: What the managers, players said

Spurs adjunct caput manager Cristian Stellini: "I person had the anticipation to speech with Antonio [Conte]. He was precise bushed due to the fact that surviving the crippled successful the assemblage is not mean and possibly helium spent much vigor successful the stands than connected the touchline."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- It's a bully day for Clement Lenglet, whose 2 of his 3 vocation Champions League goals person travel connected Nov. 1 (also successful 2017 arsenic subordinate of Sevilla vs. Spartak Moscow).

Up next

Marseille: Knocked retired of European contention successful heartbreaking fashion, Marseille volition present absorption connected qualifying erstwhile much for adjacent year's Champions League. All focused present connected their Ligue 1 campaign, hosting Lyon adjacent Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur: Expect much play for Spurs arsenic the fixtures heap up: hosting Liverpool connected Sunday, past traveling to Nottingham Forest connected Nov. 6 for the 3rd circular of the Carabao Cup, and past Leeds United connected Nov. 12 successful the Premier League.