Tottenham come back from two down, take slim advantage into home leg

Tottenham showed their strength of character at The Allianz Stadium, coming back from two down to escape Turin with a 2-2 draw and a slight advantage heading back to Wembley. 

Tottenham’s best players were exactly that on Tuesday evening, as Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane elevated their side to an epic comeback.

Mousa Dembele was also at his majestic best, controlling the midfield with his unmatched pace and power.

Kane dribbled around Buffon in the first half and deposited into the open goal. It was the first time in 17 matches the Juventus defence has been breached.

Eriksen, who put in a performance fit for a demigod, caught Gianluigi Buffon cheating on his free kick in the second half and smashed it along the ground for one of the most important goals he’s ever scored.

That goal levelled the match at two, and more importantly handed Tottenham a pair of away goals against a team who supposedly never concede.

First half

Juventus shot out of the gate like a team possessed, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes to put Spurs well and truly on the back foot. You just can’t legislate for what transpired  in the opening stages at the Allianz Arena.

Spurs were shaky from the onset, with Jan Vertonghen coughing up possession with a scuffed clearance attempt.

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Mousa Dembele committed a foul and Juventus took full advantage, catching Tottenham unaware with an intelligently dinked ball to Gonzalo Higuaín, who showed pure class and sublime technique with his volleyed finish.

Things got worse for Spurs when Ben Davies gave up a penalty in the ninth minute. Higuaín bagged the resulting penalty to send Juventus into dreamland. From then on, though, it was all Spurs. Tottenham bossed proceedings thanks to outstanding Dembele and Eriksen performances.

Eriksen set Kane up on a platter at the midway point but his header from close range was saved expertly by Gianluigi Buffon, who read the play perfectly. Kane couldn’t believe he was onside and should have done better.

Dele Alli then dwelled ever so slightly and wasn’t able to get his shot through. Giorgio Chiellini blocked Alli’s shot and Juventus countered like a bat out of hell. The ball eventually fell to Higuaín, the Argentinian just missing by a hair.

Eriksen, the standout player off the half, then played another exquisite ball into Alli, but the English midfielder ballooned his header over the bar.

Serge Aurier, in another moment of madness, dove in onDouglas Costa for a stonewall penalty. Higuaín opted for power and rang the penalty off the crossbar. Spurs, more specifically Aurier, got out of jail as Tottenham trailed by a goal at the half in a wild 45 minutes in Turin.

Second half

Davinson Sánchez showed his inexperienced frailties in the 53rd minute when he panicked with a defensive header, setting Juventus up for a menacing attack. It’s those type of moments that make Spurs supporters yearn for Toby Alderweireld’s return.

Higuaín again got the better of Sánchez, fed it out wide to Federico Bernardeschi. The winger cut in on his left foot and hit a venomous drive that Hugo Lloris pushed out for a corner. Aurier, far and away Spurs’ worst player, let Mario Mandžukić get a free header. Luckily it fell right into Lloris’ bread basket.

The tie is perfectly poised for the return leg at Wembley on March 7. Spurs, due to scoring two away goals, surely now just need a draw to advance to the quarterfinal.