Juventus 2-2 Tottenham: Spurs Come Back From Two Down To Go Home With Advantage
In what was simply a scintillating matchup between two of Europe’s hottest teams, Tottenham Hotspur successfully managed an away draw against Italian champions Juventus.
The game looked set and match quite early, with home side Juventus scoring two goals within ten minutes, thanks to star striker Gonzalo Higuain. However, Tottenham’s impressive display after going 2-0 down was fully rewarding as the Lilywhites got back into the game just before halftime with Harry Kane scoring in the 35th minute.
The visitors performed equally well in the second half and rightfully deserved the second goal as Christian Eriksen scored the equaliser in the 71st minute to hand Spurs a priceless second away goal. The Premier League side will be confident prior to their second leg clash, thanks to their two away goal advantage.
Here’s how the Spurs stars fared on the night:
Tottenham Player Ratings
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 tackle just before halftime resulted in Juventus getting a penalty, which could have sealed the fate of Spurs. His decision-making and the overall defensive game was questionable while he also had some problems dealing with the pacy Douglas Costa on the far side.
Davinson Sanchez (6/10)
Failed to replace the shoes of the injured Toby Alderweireld as the Colombian was completely outclassed by the Juventus attack in the first ten minutes. He also looked very wobbly in possession despite making a few good tackles later in the game.
Jan Vertonghen (6.5/10)
Despite an awful start to the game, Jan Vertonghen remained calm and composed as he guided Spurs from the backline. That being said, however, one would expect more composure from the Belgian International, who was rather mediocre tonight.
Ben Davies (6/10)
Actually had a decent game on the left flank. The Welshman was good in dealing with the offensive threat of Federico Bernardeschi, who failed to make an impression on the flanks tonight.
Mousa Dembele (9/10)
A driving force in the midfield, Moussa Dembele’s presence in the middle of the pitch prevented the likes of Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira to get a firm grip on the game. The Belgian’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)
Played a versatile role. Despite being deployed as a central defensive midfielder, drifted into a deeper position to act as an auxiliary centre-back. However, the English International looked quite awful and uncomfortable in dealing with offensive pressure from the opposition.
Christian Eriksen (9/10)
One of the best games he has played throughout his Tottenham career, Christian Eriksen was an absolute class in the final third. His creativity and ball-carrying ability helped Tottenham maintain pressure on the Juventus defence, despite going 2-0 down early on in the game. He was always on the lookout for that defence breaking pass and even succeeded on a few occasions. Capped off a brilliant performance with a scintillating low freekick which completely bamboozled Gianluigi Buffon and the entire Juventus defence.
Dele Alli (8/10)
Was always an option in the final third. Dele Alli made some clever movements throughout the game, which offered Spurs’ attackers some extra space in the final third as well as unsettling the Juve defence.
Erik Lamela (6.5/10)
Failed to properly replace Heung-Min Son, who had to settle for a place on the bench. The Argentine looked promising at times but ultimately failed to make a stronger impression.
Harry Kane (9/10)
He once again proved as to why he is regarded as one of the most highly rated forwards in the world. The English international proved to be a handful, even for the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Mehdi Benatia. The latter will be having nightmares about Spurs’ talismanic striker tonight. Not only did Kane score the goal which helped Spurs get back into the game but he also chipped in with some fantastic hold-up play just outside the box along with some great inward running.
Subs
Heung-Min Son (N/A)
A surprising exclusion from the starting lineup, Heung-min Son made a late appearance, replacing Dele Alli in the 83rd minute.
Lucas Moura (N/A)
Made his first appearance for the club, following his big-money move from PSG last month.
Victor Wanyama (N/A)
Came on for Christian Eriksen in the final minutes of the game.
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