Tottenham accomplished one other dramatic comeback in stoppage-time and handed a stern check of character as they booked a spot within the Champions League knockouts final night time.If Saturday’s last-gasp win over Bournemouth was all the way down to Spurs’ high quality from the bench, this consequence felt above all like a victory for the mentality of Antonio Conte’s gamers.Pretty or not, Spurs won’t shake the tag of bottlers till they win one thing and the event had greater than sufficient parts to counsel they could crumble below the stress, from the lingering ache of Harry Kane’s disallowed winner towards Sporting CP final week to the presence of three former Arsenal gamers within the Marseille XI.Extra importantly, Spurs had been lacking key gamers and Conte himself — with the Italian banned from the touchline and dressing room — whereas the house followers created a ferociously hostile atmosphere.There was a booming environment right here contained in the Stade Velodrome — even with one stand closed by UEFA for earlier crowd hassle — and the Marseille ultras welcomed Spurs to the port metropolis with two fabulous shows of fireworks outdoors their group lodge in the course of the early hours of yesterday morning.Learn MoreInitially, Spurs seemed on the right track to wilt and so they deservedly trailed to Chancel Mbemba’s header after an atrocious first-half show.Watching from the stands and unable to speak instantly with the dressing room, Conte will need to have feared his dismal file within the Champions League was set to proceed however, in his absence, his gamers rallied to a different restoration.Clement Lenglet headed dwelling an equaliser 10 minutes after the interval and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lastly secured their spot within the last-16, and as group winners, with a fierce end off the submit with the final kick of the match.Captain Hugo Lloris described the sport as “psychological battle” and the victory was additional proof that Conte is constructing a squad with spectacular psychological fortitude, even when questions stay about their performances and the top coach’s personal selections.This was the third consecutive match by which Spurs have recovered from behind, after the 3-2 win on the Vitality Stadium and final week’s draw with Sporting however the sample is unquestionably not sustainable for for much longer.Conte has insisted it’s unimaginable for his gamers to keep up their depth for a full 90 minutes given the relentlessness of the schedule and one risk — hinted at by his assistant, Cristian Stellini — is that the gradual begins are a part of a method to preserve vitality and beat the opponent in a 45-minute match.Tottenham Hotspur FC by way of Getty I“The stadium was extremely popular within the first half and generally it’s regular to provide the likelihood to the opponent to play, to make use of the vitality you may have within the second half,” mentioned Stellini, who deputised for Conte throughout his ban.“It may be a method. We have to attempt to play all of the 90 minutes in the identical stage.”If enjoying at half-pace for the primary 45 minutes is a part of Conte’s grand plan for this half of the season, it’s plainly a dangerous one and Spurs might have been punished by Marseille if former Arsenal participant Sead Kolasinac had not missed a late sitter at 1-1.Extra believable is that Spurs had been merely not sure of find out how to strategy the primary half, whereas figuring out a draw would have been sufficient to ensure qualification.“We didn’t play nicely within the first half as a result of we didn’t know if we needed to assault or defend,” mentioned Lenglet, who headed dwelling Ivan Perisic’s free-kick.Kane added: “I feel it’s all the time laborious to come back away from dwelling in a troublesome environment figuring out {that a} draw will get you thru. “It’s by no means simple to come back out and go full throttle since you might find yourself being 2-0 down in 10 minutes and then you definitely’re in a gap. We’ve acquired to discover a stability between dropping and urgent.”The consequence ensures that Spurs will likely be drawn towards one of many runners-up from one other group within the round-of-16 in February and March. Subsequent up for Conte’s weary aspect is the go to of Liverpool on Sunday, earlier than the midweek Carabao Cup third-round at Nottingham Forest and eventually a house sport towards Leeds earlier than they pause for the World Cup.For all of the discuss Spurs’ underwhelming performances within the first half of the season, they’re now well-placed to enter the winter break able of power, comfortably within the race for the highest 4 and even the title, and getting ready for a Champions League knockout sport.
Tottenham’s sport of threat pays off however comeback mentality might not go the space
![Tottenham’s sport of threat pays off however comeback mentality might not go the space 6 Tottenham’s game of risk pays off but comeback mentality may not go the distance](https://i0.wp.com/fifanews.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Tottenhams-game-of-risk-pays-off-but-comeback-mentality-may.jpg?resize=860%2C573&ssl=1)