A clash of generations; The Old Lady with her dearth of Champion’s League experience against Pochetinno’s over performing band of upstarts from North London. Juventus’ ironclad defense against Tottenham’s possession and press. Chielleni vs. Kane. The set up may sound intriguing, but the match was sure to be a cagey affair.
That cagey affair lasted all of 3 minutes before Gonzalo Higuian in all his dad-bod glory slotted home a wonderful volley against a seemingly still sleeping Spurs side. Minutes later the tie was surely ended when Ben Davies was judged to have fouled in the box and Higuian dispatched the ensuing penalty. This Juventus team has only let in one goal in the last dozen games, so two in the next 170 minutes seems a bit ambitious. Well, that was a fun European run! Same old Spurs. Or perhaps the capitulation in the round of 16 merely makes us Arsenal in disguise. Glory, glory, roll on Rochdale.
Spurs looked shell-shocked. Hugo’s face told it all. But then in the minutes that followed something happened, something we Spurs fans have grown accustomed to seeing. Mousa Dembele began to dominate. He dropped deeper in possession and with his dribbling made the spaces for Eriksen, Alli and Lamela in between the two banks of four. Allegri had alluded to this quality before the match, but Juventus were to a man unable to stop “the Moose.”
Tottenham possession began to pile up. Kane went down in the box under what looked like a push. No call. Liverpool fans everywhere must have been up in arms. I can still taste the salt of their tears lingering on my lips (and online football forums). He went down a bit easy, but not a dive. Seven minutes later, Kane gets a free header but it is hit straight at Buffon. Minutes later, the Tottenham breakthrough. Juventus again cough up the ball on the press and Dele plays it through to Harry who rounds Buffon, stays on his feet and buries the first away goal. One of our own! That goal matched Steven Gerrard’s record for an Englishman in the Champions League with seven. Now there was a player who liked a dive. Anyhow.
Belief! There is still 120 minutes to play. What wonders a precious away goal in Italy can do. The pressure and possession continued to amass for Spurs. Juventus could not live with the press, which has a lot more bite to it with Erik Lamela on the prowl.
The half was drawing to a close, hope and belief coursing through the veins. Douglas Costa uses a bit of pace to get in the box and naturally Serge Aurier goes to ground in the box and takes out his legs. What else would Serge Aurier do in this situation? Stone cold pen. Welp – how deflating. Woe is me. Gonzalo Higuian to round off his first half hat trick. But he blasts it off the crossbar. Shades of him playing for Argentina. Oh that glorious DAD BOD! Hope creeps back in. Aurier’s career can be spared. A fan can only hope that Poch will work his fullback magic on Aurier during the offseason as he is one hell of an athlete but seems to always have a conceded penalty or rash booking in him.
The second half started much with Spurs again dominating possession, Demebele bossing play. Half chances here and there. The game continued to be very physical and scrappy as it was in the first half, and at close to the hour mark the officials decided to start calling some fouls. Higuian was booked for acting like my four year old when he hasn’t’ slept. Moussa Dembele savagely injured Sami Khedira with a feint to the right and jook of the hips.
Not much later Dele is taken down outside the box in Great Dane territory. Eriksen puts his free kick under the wall and it deceives Buffon. Two away goals in Turin. What massive balls and immense character shown by this young Spurs team.
The match ends 2-2. You ask a Spurs fan before the match and I think any of us takes that result. You ask after ten minutes into the match and we bite your hand off. After the match, it feels we should have won the match. More defensive discipline will be needed in the second leg.