Tottenham held Juventus to a draw despite being two goals down after nine minutes
The North London team drew 2-2 at Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on the evening of February 13.
Goals: Higuain 2', 9' (penalty) – Kane 35', Eriksen 72'
Max Allegri's side enter the game with confidence, having won 11 consecutive matches in all competitions. The Serie A champions have also kept a clean sheet in their last eight home games.
And while Tottenham had not yet had time to get used to the pitch, they opened the scoring in the second minute. From a free kick, midfielder Miralem Pjanic chipped the ball for Gonzalo Higuain to volley in a one-touch volley like a practice shot. The Argentine killer's shot was low and dangerous, causing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to try but could not block it.
Higuain broke the deadlock early. Photo: Reuters |
Juventus continued to suffocate their opponents with high-speed and varied play. In an eighth-minute cross, the home team was awarded a penalty after Federico Bernardeschi was fouled by Ben Davies in the box. From the 11-meter mark, Higuain continued to beat Lloris, although the French goalkeeper got a hand to the ball.
It took Tottenham 25 minutes to regain their composure and develop their own style of play, while Juventus sat deep and defended. The visitors first threatened Gianluigi Buffon's goal when Harry Kane headed the ball past him, but it was not dangerous. Five minutes later, Higuain could have had a hat-trick if he had done better in a lightning counter-attack with Douglas Costa.
Juventus doubled the lead in the ninth minute. Photo: Reuters |
Higuain's miss allowed Tottenham to play more comfortably. Buffon had to work hard to deal with the shots from the visitors, but he could only save Juventus until the 35th minute.
From Higuain's failed pass in midfield, Tottenham quickly counterattacked vertically, when the ball left Jan Vertonghen's feet to Christian Eriksen and Alli. The English midfielder observed and passed the ball for Kane to break the offside trap, pass Buffon and shorten the score to 1-2.
Tottenham increased the pressure in the remaining minutes of the first half, but could not find a second goal. They even had to receive a penalty in injury time, when Serge Aurier carelessly fouled Costa in the penalty area.
Once again the visitors' full-back showed his inexperience in tackling the Juventus winger. But this time Higuain could not convert the penalty, as his shot hit the crossbar and bounced off.
Despite being behind after the first half, the English representative launched 10 shots, with a possession rate of 72%. The game became more balanced in the second half, forcing Allegri to often go to the sidelines, instructing his students to slow down the pace of the match. The two teams also did not create many opportunities, having to invest in set pieces.
Tottenham regained a point thanks to their unyielding spirit. Photo: Reuters |
Tottenham had a valuable opportunity with a free kick from less than 20 meters away, wide angle, in the 72nd minute. "Maestro" Eriksen took responsibility for the free kick, with a shot into the near corner.
In this situation, Buffon touched the ball but could not push it out of the goal. The loss was still the fault of the legendary goalkeeper, because he misjudged Eriksen's intention to shoot. The Danish midfielder had an impressive performance, with the title of Best Player of the Match.
Satisfied with a point and two away goals, Tottenham took the initiative to prolong the game in the final minutes. On the other side, due to the absence of Paulo Dybala, Juventus also did not have enough breakthrough factors to create a surprise from the bench.
The 2-2 result gives coach Mauricio Pochettino and his team an advantage ahead of the second leg taking place three weeks later.