Full Time: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur registered a memorable 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last night at the Wembley Stadium. The Londoners were impeccable from the go and rarely let the Spanish side settle into the game. A brace from Dele Alli and one from Christian Eriksen capped off a fantastic performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s side and while Cristiano Ronaldo did get one back for Zinedine Zidane’s men, it was too little too late and Spurs held on to see the game through.
It is amazing to see how far Tottenham have come in the past few years and this win stands out.
Here’s how the Tottenham players fared on the big night.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Hugo Lloris – 7.5
Lloris is a top-notch goalkeeper but a few people called out against his performance at the Santiago Bernabeu in the previous matchday. Last night, however, he was almost impeccable as he denied Madrid’s frontline several opportunities to score, as he bossed his own six-yard area and came out to confidently to collect the crosses.
Toby Alderweireld – 7
Alderweireld was excellent in defence and did not let Madrid dominate the game in the opening exchanges. However, he had to be taken off in the 24th minute as he pulled his right hamstring during a rare foray into the opposition half.
Davinson Sanchez – 8
It is not an easy task to contain one of the most explosive forward lines throughout the 90 minutes of the game but Davinson Sanchez did that with relative ease in the centre of a 3-man defence. Neither Benzema nor Ronaldo was given much room to manoeuvre as the former Ajax defender held them tight and rarely made a mistake.
Jan Vertonghen – 8
Played as the left centre-back, Vertonghen made an impressive job in neutralising Isco, who was not given any space and time on the ball. He also came up with the goods against the rest of Real Madrid’s attacking line-up who constantly changed positions in the hope of catching Spurs out.
Kieran Trippier – 8.5
Trippier was on fire yesterday. His brilliant volleyed cross from a Harry Winks pass set up Dele Alli’s opener while his positional sense and on-the-ball skills ensured that neither Marcelo nor Ronaldo got much joy on the wing.
Ben Davies – 7.5
Davies is the ideal utility player capable of playing at a number of positions and did his job extremely well against a tricky opposition.
Christian Eriksen – 8
It is games like these that test the mental and technical abilities of players and Eriksen certainly shone in those departments. He has near-perfected the creator role which is helped by the fact that he has exceptional vision and bags of energy. Those facets of his game helped him to get a goal for himself as he finished off a sweeping Spurs counter-attack.
Eric Dier – 8.5
Probably the most versatile Spurs player, Dier was started alongside Eriksen in central midfield but was pushed back in defence to take the place of the injured Alderweireld. He slotted into the position seamlessly and also played the pass that set up Dele Alli’s second goal.
Harry Winks – 8
It is quite a feat to hold your own against a midfield that contains the likes of Isco, Kroos and Modric. Harry Winks did just that and much more as he not only bossed the midfield but also played a beautiful diagonal ball to Trippier who put it on the plate for Alli. Could have had a goal as well.
Dele Alli – 9
The best player on the pitch was Dele Alli who shone as the beacon for a new-look and fresh-faced Spurs side who are ready to take on the hegemony of Europe’s best. His brace means he is now a part of an elite club of legends who have done the same against the Galacticos.
Harry Kane – 7
While he did not get a goal for himself, Kane relentlessly ran the channels and caused a lot of problems for Sergio Ramos and Nacho who were at the heart of the Madrid defence. He also showed great vision to release Alli for Spurs’ third and showed he has so much more to offer than just clinical finishing.
Subs:
Moussa Sissoko – 7
Came in for Alderweireld but was placed in central midfield in Dier’s position. Did a decent job in containing Madrid but scuffed his lines when a goalscoring opportunity presented itself.
Mousa Dembele – 7
Replaced Winks in the 66th minute in what was an attempt by Pochettino to inject more maturity and experience into the proceedings. Dembele is so crucial to this Spurs team, isn’t he?
Fernando Llorente – N/A
Replaced Kane in the 79th minute.