Juventus 2-2 Tottenham: Kane and Eriksen lead comeback

They love a Champions League comeback, Tottenham. Even by their standards, however, this was something special.

November 19, 2017, was the last time Juventus conceded twice in a game. They haven’t let so much as a single goal in since December 30. So to come from two down to draw 2-2 in Juventus Stadium was a recovery to stand beside any in recent times. 

This is a club aiming for its seventh consecutive Serie A title, one that has contested two Champions League finals in the last three seasons. Tottenham, as Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged, remain shy of experience at this level – certainly in the knockout stages. 

Christian Eriksen scored Tottenham’s second goal with an expertly taken free-kick from 20-yards out in the second half

Kane rounds Juventus goalkeeper Buffon and slots the ball into the empty net to pull Tottenham back within one goal

Eriksen found the bottom corner of the Juventus net to bring Tottenham level on the night and ahead on away goals

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in the opening 10 minutes to seemingly give Juventus complete control of the European tie

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE 

 Juventus (4-2-3-1): Buffon; De Sciglio, Benatia, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira (Bentancur 66), Pjanic; Bernardeschi,  Douglas Costa (Asamoah 90), Mandzukic (Sturaro 76); Higuain.

Subs not used: Szczesny, Rugan, Marchisio, Muratore.

Goals: Higuain 2, 9

Missed penalty: Higuain 45+2 

Bookings: Benatia, Higuain, Bentancur

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen (Wanyama 90), Dele (Son Heung-Min 85), Lamela (Lucas 89); Kane.

Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Trippier, Rose, Sissoko.

Goals: Kane 35, Eriksen 72

Bookings: Davies, Aurier

Referee: Felix Brych

Harry Kane rounds Gianluigi Buffon and taps in after receiving a good pass from Dele Alli. For more from Match Zone, click HERE.

Yet they have tremendous ability, and growing resolve. They rose above a quite hopeless opening ten minutes to steer a path back into the game, and emerge on top. A low scoring draw would do them in the return leg at Wembley. Not that they should shrink from aiming high. Taking the game to Juventus, they were more than a match. 

The equaliser came after Giorgio Chiellini fouled Dele Alli on the edge of the area – and, yes, it was a foul, not a dive. Christian Eriksen took responsibility and somehow managed to send the mighty Gianluigi Buffon the wrong way with a pretty straight shot. 

It was low, to the left, but Buffon had initially set off in the opposite direction, before correcting. Too late. Tottenham were level, the locals stunned into silence. They had not conceded twice here since an Italian Cup match more than a year ago – January 11, 2017, against Atalanta. But we all know the status of the Coppa Italia. This was different. This mattered. 

Tottenham have had some worse halves in Italy, it must be said: four goals and a man down on Inter Milan in 2010 wasn’t the greatest start. Yet there is a world of difference between an inconsistent Inter team under Rafael Benitez, and the Juventus defensive machine. No goals conceded in 2018, unbeaten at home in Europe since 2013.  

Gonzalo Higuain volleys a pass from Miralem Pjanic and finds the bottom corner of Tottenham’s net after just two mintues

Higuain stays composed to beat Tottenham goalkeeper from the penalty spot and give Juventus a 2-0 lead after nine minutes 

Higuain runs off to celebrate for the second time in a matter of minutes after finding the back of the net from 12 yards out

Christian Eriksen of Tottenham looks dejected as the Premier League team fall two goals behind in the opening 10 minutes

To go two goals down in nine minutes here as Tottenham did looked nothing short of disastrous. It is to their enormous credit then, that they fought back and went in at half-time trailing 2-1 – although that also required a huge slice of luck, via a missed penalty.

First things first, though – what the hell happened. Well, invention happened, Gonzalo Higuain happened, as did some frankly suicidal defending. From the start, Tottenham were rattled by the step up in class that Juventus represent.  

Mousa Dembele dived in rashly in a way that was simply not required against Arsenal on Saturday, and gave away a free-kick against Miralem Pjanic, some 30 yards from goal. Pjanic was under consideration as a replacement for Luka Modric once, and what a clever addition he might have been to this Tottenham team. He stood over the ball with Federico Bernardeschi. The Italian made as if to take it, but pulled out mid-run. 

Pjanic took over and clipped the ball the short distance to Higuain. Somehow, he was unmarked. Somehow, one of the greatest goalscorers in Europe, had contrived to lose an entire defence. Dele Alli saw the danger, and left his man, but too late. Ben Davies appeared to be flagging up the trouble from the left. The central defenders were all gathered on the far side where Juventus had decoy forces massed.  

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur pleads with referee Felix Brych after appearing to be brought down in the Juventus box

The England international fails to score a header from point-blank range with Gianluigi Buffon successfully stopping the shot

Minutes later, Kane rounds Buffon in the Juventus box after receiving a fine pass from Dele Alli and slots the ball into the net

Kane gestures for his Tottenham team-mates to calm down after bringing the team back within a single goal on the night

It was a quite brilliantly worked set-piece, and Higuain gave it the finish it deserved. He met the ball on the volley and in one movement finished it. Juventus were ahead, and in 79 seconds – their quickest goal in this competition since Alessandro Del Piero scored against Manchester United in 1997.

For Tottenham, worse was to come. At least the first goal was smart. The second was the result of simple clumsiness. Mario Mandzukic played a crossfield ball, left to right, and Davies appeared to have lost his place on the pitch, and his sight of the danger around him. 

He studied the ball, was blindsided by the man and ended up making a rash, misjudged tackle that upended Bernardeschi: a clear penalty. Higuain stepped up and, while Hugo Lloris read his kick correctly, both hands could do nothing to stop it nestling in the left corner. With 171 minutes of the tie remaining, some were already speculating that Tottenham looked done. 

Yet they have character, this side, and have shown it on many occasions in Europe this season. Last night was no exception. Gradually, they came back into the game. Slowly, they probed for a way through. Not easy when Juventus, at times, had 11 men within 25 yards of their goal. It isn’t hard to see why their defensive record is so exceptional this season.

Yet there were lapses, and Tottenham edged closer. A tumble by Harry Kane under pressure from Medhi Benatia was not greatly impressive, and was rightly rejected by referee Felix Brych – but after 26 minutes he lost his marker and met a Christian Eriksen cross with a point blank header, which Gianluigi Buffon saved. Kane immediately looked for an offside flag to spare his embarrassment. None flew. 

Tottenham concede a second penalty after Serge Aurier took out Juventus winger Douglas Costa with a rash slide tackle

Higuain crashes the ball against the bar as he fails to take the chance to complete his hat-trick in first-half injury time

Juventus goalkeeper and captain Buffon looks disappointed after seeing Higuain miss the penalty kick after 45 minutes

Juventus star Mario Mandzukic speaks with referee Brych after he fails to give them a free-kick for a tackle on Miralem Pjanic

Higuain displays anger towards the referee after feeling a foul on Pjanic (pictured left) went unpunished in the second half

Tottenham’s Dele Alli is fouled by Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini on the edge of his box midway through the second half

Kane had another effort kept out by Buffon and Eriksen tried one from distance that travelled just wide. Then, the duel moments that changed the momentum, and maybe the tie. The unconvincing Davinson Sanchez made a mistake as Juve counter-attacked, and suddenly they were in for what looked a surefire third. 

Higuain exchanged passes with Pjanic, before finally sizing up his shot in the penalty area. To widespread amazement, he spurned his hat-trick, striking it wide. They should have been 3-0 down – but five minutes later, Tottenham snatched the vital away goal.

It was the unlikeliest build up, the fearsome Giorgio Chiellini bundled off the ball in midfield by none other than Eriksen, Alli picking up the scraps and feeding Kane. For once, Buffon made a misjudgement, haring off his line with too much abandon, allowing Kane to skip around him and slip the ball into an unguarded net. It was his seventh goal of the campaign, equalling the record for an Englishman set by Steven Gerrard in 2009-10.

That this fine work was not undone totally before half-time was no thanks to Serge Aurier. Skinned by Douglas Costa on the flank he took a reckless swing at full pelt, missed the ball, got the man and left Brych no option but to award Juventus a second penalty of the night. 

Up stepped Higuain, with another gilt-edged chance for his hat-trick. He smashed it straight, high and against the bar. The whistle blew for half-time. From Tottenham’s point of view, they’ve had it worse and still lived to tell the tale.  

Christian Eriksen takes the resulting free kick and finds the bottom corner of the net to bring Tottenham back on level terms

Eriksen celebrates with Tottenham team-mate Erik Lamela after scoring the goal that brings Tottenham level on the night

The Tottenham players run to celebrate with goal-scorer Eriksen as the Juventus players look on in a dejected manner

Juventus captain Buffon congratulates Tottenham striker Kane following the final whistle at the Allianz Stadium in Turin