Marseille 1 – 2 Spurs – Hojbjerg scores late winner
Spurs secured safe passage into the Champions League knockout rounds as group winners on Tuesday night, coming from behind to secure victory against Marseille.
The victory came courtesy of goals from Clement Llenglet, who scored his first goal for the club (54’) in what was his 50th Champions League appearance, with Danish international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scoring a late winner (90+5’).
Match Review – Marseille v Tottenham Hotspur
The much-anticipated Champions League game between Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur brought with it a tremendous atmosphere that was fitting for the occasion. The stadium was at near capacity with 50,768 fans in attendance, with Spurs fans making their voices heard, roaring the Lilywhites on.
Group D was tight, and whilst Tottenham could have secured qualification with a draw, a win would guarantee their progression through to the Knockout stages of the Champions League competition.
Early pressure was applied to the Tottenham defence from the off, with ex-Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez forcing Hugo Lloris into an early save in what was the first effort on goal for Les Olympiens.
Ex-Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Veretout was the next Marseille player to test Spurs’ defensive resilience with a dangerous cross into the penalty area, which resulted in Chancel Mbemba opening the scoring with a powerful header.
Conte’s team had shown plenty of resilience in recent games, and they were certainly not out of this match.
Spurs piled pressure on their hosts early in the second half, which was rewarded just after the fifty-minute mark when Clement Llenglet rose highest to head the ball home following an inswinging free-kick by Croatian international Perisic.
With just 25 minutes of the second half remaining, Harry Kane had the chance to complete the turnaround following an Emerson Royal cross being spilt by Lopez, but the England international was unable to take the opportunity.
Spurs were starting to make their mark on the contest.
The closing minutes of the match were nervous for Tottenham fans, with both teams having chances to add to the score line, the most notable saw Hojbjerg’s effort hit the crossbar, whilst Marseille’s Sead Kolasinac headed the ball wide.
Spurs continued to show their resilience when Perisic was on hand to make a crucial save to deny Sanchez. Had the goal gone in, it would have made Spurs’ opportunity to progress to the next stage difficult.
Tottenham had some luck; even the best teams need luck in cup competitions, and their growing influence on the game was soon to be rewarded in the dying embers.
The winning goal came when Kane’s lung-busting run into the penalty area resulted in an incisive pass into the path of Hojbjerg, who made no mistake by firing the ball into the net deep into stoppage time, which sparked wild celebrations in the away end.
Match Facts & Potential Opponents
Whilst Tottenham did not dominate possession (39%) compared to Marseille (61%), they were far more clinical in front of goal than their French opponents, finding the back of the net with two of their three efforts on goal.
Summer signing Richarlison and Spurs icon Heung-Min Son are joint top of Spurs’ top goal scorers so far. Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic and Denmark international Hojbjerg were the top creators in the group stage, with two assists each.
Preparation ahead of the match was disrupted early on Tuesday morning when rival fans set off fireworks outside the team hotel. Tottenham showed they were made of sterner stuff as, despite the lively atmosphere before and during the match, they were able to keep cool heads and come away with the all-important victory.
Spurs fans will now be eagerly anticipating the round of 16 draw, which is set to take place on Monday 7th, November at 11am. The draw will be held at the UEFA Headquarters. Whoever Antonio Conte’s side face, it is sure to be a hotly contested and blockbuster match that Tottenham fans will not want to miss.
The first leg of the round of sixteen is set to take place from 14th to 15th February 2023, with the second leg matches to take place from 21st to 22nd February 2023.
Post-Match Reaction
Spurs assistant head coach Cristian Sellini, who was standing in for Antonio Conte, said
“I’m very proud because when you start a match in the way we started, it’s not easy to change. The crowd was very hot, Marseille had control of the game in the first half, and we never jumped up to press or create problems, and our energy was very low. We defended well, because they didn’t create a lot of chances. We changed the system in the second half and played much better, controlled the game and played a fantastic second half. We followed the process.”
Upcoming Next Home Game
Tottenham fans can enjoy the upcoming top-of-the-table clash in style by purchasing one of our Spurs vs Liverpool Hospitality Packages, which are now on sale.
You can purchase our hospitality packages online or by calling our Tottenham Hospitality team, who will give you the information you need in terms of facilities. They will be able to secure packages for you.
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