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Tottenham earn dramatic draw with Juventus: 3 things we learned

By Andrew Bernucca

TURIN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 13: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur and Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus shake hands after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur at Allianz Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 13: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur and Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus shake hands after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur at Allianz Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham came back from two goals down to draw with Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Here are three takeaways.

Tottenham drew Juventus 2-2 at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Gonzalo Higuain got the hosts off to a great start with two goals inside the first 10 minutes, but Spurs responded superbly. A goal apiece from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen led to the visitors getting a huge result that sets them up well for leg two. Here are three takeaways from an incredibly entertaining first match.

Experience helps, but talent can prevail

Tottenham were playing on eggshells at the beginning of the match, and that’s why they went down 2-0 so quickly. Only two players in the Tottenham starting XI had Champions League knockout round experience, and their manager had none. They needed time to adjust to the moment and once they did, they were already down 2-0. Dele Alli and Ben Davies were the two who made costly mistakes. Alli didn’t communicate when defending a set piece, and Davies didn’t check his shoulder when defending a long ball.

Spurs adjusted and eventually found their footing. Kane missed his first chance as he flicked Eriksen’s through ball directly at Gianluigi Buffon. Shortly after, he got another clear-cut chance, rounding Buffon when one-on-one and slotting in.

Eriksen found the equalizer in the second half from a free-kick. It was well deserved and a reflection of the fact that, once Spurs gain comfort and confidence at this level, they have the quality and intelligence to challenge anyone.

Spurs need to make a Champions League run to keep core

Spurs didn’t seem prepared when they played in last season’s Champions League, as they failed to qualify from the group stage. Some questions were asked of the squad’s core in the offseason and people wondered if it was good enough to compete for multiple trophies.

This season’s Champions League display by Spurs has confirmed the quality of Kane, Eriksen and Alli. They won the group of death, coming out on top over Real Madrid and Dortmund and even managed to beat both in the group stage as well. Their impressive efforts then faced a harsh reward as they drew Juventus, one of the best teams in Europe.

Spurs proved themselves to be Champions League quality for the second time this season with their dramatic 2-2 draw. If it was in any doubt before this match — and it was certainly in doubt 10 minutes in — this team are serious contenders.

The club as a whole is in desperate need of this victory as well. A deep Champions League run is probably the only thing Spurs can do to hold off the interests of the biggest clubs in the world in their core. They control their destiny.

English soccer back to the glory days

In recent times, English teams have struggled in the Champions League and against Europe’s elite. Manchester United disappeared from the competition after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Manchester City were clearly still focused on domestic success, Chelsea were the only club capable of the occasional run and Arsenal were, well, Arsenal.

The new TV money came in and the top clubs revamped. United are back to having a top class manager and a squad that features world-class players, City are ready to to dominate the whole continent under Pep Guardiola and Liverpool and Spurs have breathed life into England’s Champions League contingent.

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Both clubs play the game with no fear, always looking to play on the front foot. They look for high-scoring affairs that the fans are always rooting for. Juventus showed us today that not even the best teams in Europe can find success when playing that way, but Spurs and Liverpool believe they can.

While their belief is strong, City showed in their 4-0 rout of Basel that everyone better believe in them, too. United and Liverpool play their matches tomorrow and both will be looking to stake their claims as Champions League contenders.

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