Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League dream came to a crashing halt as the Old Lady knocked them out on their own turf. Juventus, who went 1-0 down to Heung-Min Son’s goal, scored twice in less than four minutes in the second half, to step into the quarterfinals of the competition this season.
Spurs dominated most of the game till Gonzalo Higuain drifted away to tap in a header from Sami Khedira in the 64th minute. The Argentine then set up his national compatriot Paulo Dybala, who made no mistake in a one-on-one with Hugo Lloris. Spurs had their chances late in the game but Juventus showed their grit, throwing bodies around and sitting deep to frustrate the hosts. They will feel hard done by but are eventually out of the Champions League, 4-3 on aggregate. Here are the player ratings for Spurs in this tie:
Hugo Lloris (6):
Could not have done much to save either goal and was not tested too much otherwise.
Kieran Trippier (5):
Did very little in attack apart from the cross for Son’s goal and was also partially at fault for Dybala’s goal, allowing him to drift in behind.
Davinson Sanchez (5):
A superb game for the youngster, who matched most of what Juve threw at him but was not as effective as a unit, leaving too much space on too many occasions.
Jan Vertonghen (4):
Was second best to many of the attempted interceptions on the night as he gave away needless fouls and never really settled into the game. Lucky not to give away a penalty in the first half.
Ben Davies (5):
Ever willing to add numbers in attack but was not good with the final ball. Also, he was not at his best at the back, leaving space for the visitors to exploit.
Eric Dier (4):
Started brightly, keeping Juve on their toes but slowly faded away and had to be subbed off.
Mousa Dembele (6):
Bossed the midfield till Juve’s first goal but failed to create anything after they took the lead, falling flat on too many occasions.
Christian Eriksen (6):
Was superb with his passing and crossing all night and was involved in the build-up to Son’s goal.
Dele Alli (5):
Not his best night where he was willing to take on the defenders but fell short at the crucial time.
Heung Min-Son (8):
Spurs’ best player on the night, Son got lucky with the finish for his goal but was constantly testing the back line with his direct approach and was unlucky to end up on the losing side.
Harry Kane (4):
Came close with a header late in the game and with a curling shot early in the game but did very little otherwise to threaten Buffon’s goal.
Substitutes:
Erik Lamela (N/A):
Came on at a time where Juve were happy to sit back and found it hard to create anything in the final third.
Fernando Llorente (N/A)
