By Betsefy
Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for the Champions League last 16 as Group D winners courtesy of a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome this evening.
In a game of two halves in the South of France, Chancel Mbemba‘s opener in first-half stoppage time was cancelled out by Clement Lenglet nine minutes after the interval, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg netted a 95th-minute winner with the last kick of the game to help Spurs snatch all three points.
Antonio Conte‘s side, who required just a point to progress to the knockout rounds, followed up a dreadful first-half showing with a much-improved display after the break, which helped them to get over the line and remain at the summit of Group D.
Eintracht Frankfurt will join Spurs in the last 16 after they also came from behind to win 2-1 away against Sporting Lisbon, who finish third in the group and will drop down into the Europa League.
As for Marseille, they started the night bottom of Group D and they remain at the foot of the group, with a draw seeing them crash out of Europa altogether.
Marseille made a bright start to the contest in front of a raucous Stade Velodrome crowd and they dominated the first half with 70% possession, with Tottenham chasing shadows and struggling to escape their own half.
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Spurs’ were dealt a major injury blow in the 23rd minute as Son Heung-min required treatment for several minutes after his jaw collided with the shoulder of Mbemba during an aerial challenge. The South Korean star gingerly walked down the tunnel and the North Londoners switch to a 3-5-2 formation following the introduction of Yves Bissouma off the substitutes’ bench.
Shortly before Son’s withdrawal, Tottenham were given an early reminder of Alexis Sanchez‘s quality in the final third; the former Arsenal forward sharply turned inside the area and fired a shot at goal, but Hugo Lloris was equal to it at the near post.
Lloris was called into action again just after the half-hour mark, with the Frenchman at full stretch to brilliantly tip a venomous left-footed strike from Jordan Veretout away from danger.
With Marseille pilling on the pressure, half time could not have come soon enough for Spurs, but the fourth official indicated seven additional minutes following Son’s lengthy treatment and Marseille eventually made the breakthrough courtesy of a towering head from Mbemba.
Tottenham thought Marseille were wrongly awarded a corner, but that was not the case and the Spurs’ backline switched off, allowing the hosts to take a short corner with Veretout curling a perfect cross towards former Newcastle United man Mbemba to head home unmarked at the far post.
Harry Kane eventually fired Tottenham’s first and only shot on goal in the first half moments before the half-time whistle blew, with the striker’s powerful effort from the edge of the area tipped over the crossbar by former Spurs loanee Pau Lopez.
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