Who was man of the match for Tottenham against the Old Lady?
By Gary Pearson
There were numerous sterling performances at the Allianz Stadium but whose was most influential in the improbable Tottenham comeback?
You can definitely rule out Serge Aurier and Ben Davies, the former enduring a particularly grotesque evening.
Excellent as usual, Harry Kane scored to spearhead Tottenham’s revival. It was the first goal Juventus had conceded in 16 matches and it spurred on the away side, showing the Old Lady’s defence isn’t as impenetrable and godlike as many ostensibly pronounced.
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Kane, like a seasoned puppet master, pulled Medhi Benatia and Giorgio Chiellini all over the pitch. But Kane was uncharacteristically thriftless in front of goal and probably should have converted on at least one of the other chances that fell his way.
Gianluigi Buffon will take credit for Kane’s most glaring miss. He read the play well and made a strong reactionary save but Spurs’ marksman will be the first to admit that his close-range header should have taken the Italian legend completely out of the equation.
What about the demure Dane?
Provider extraordinaire Christian Eriksen delivered the pinpoint cross to Kane, his first of many inspirational moments. Like a man possessed, Eriksen played as if he had something to prove to the footballing world.
Akin to the grand opening of a highly touted Broadway musical, the demure Dane didn’t disappoint. A master of his craft, Eriksen goes about his business the way an artist delicately tends to a canvass.
He’s a puritan who plays with a sophisticated, tacit sort of confidence that endears him to anyone with an appreciation of football’s majesty. After Tuesday’s big-match performance, the Italian media has, as a collective, jumped on the Eriksen bandwagon, singing highly his praises.
"Tuttosport said he was “marvellous”, La Repubblica articulated that the Eriksen is “a sober, clinical champion” while La Gazzetta dello Sport characterized him as “a total footballer.”"
High praise indeed, all of which wholly deserved. After setting up Dele Alli in much the same way he did for Kane, he scored a goal that will forever be etched in Tottenham folklore. Utilizing all of his craft, Eriksen outsmarted Buffon, one of football’s most experienced and venerated icons. He caught Buffon cheating, showing the Italian legend his intelligence and versatility.
Pinging long-range passes as if he was handing shopping bags to his long-term partner, Eriksen again showed his ultimate mastery of the football. The spherical ball is merely a subordinate who has no option but to comply, emboldened further by Eriksen’s 90 percent passing success rate.
Eriksen, as you might have already surmised, was Tottenham’s man of the match, no small feat when Mousa Dembélé is patrolling the midfield in close proximity.
Mousa Dembélé, a close runner-up
The tireless engine in the heart of the midfield has arguably been Tottenham’s best player since the turn of the new year.
Since moving into Allianz Stadium seven years ago, Juventus hadn’t, before Tuesday, thrown away a two-goal lead. Dembele was integral in making sure that record would stand no longer.
Stronger than an ox, fiercer than a grizzly and more determined than a bull, Dembele, whether against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, or Juventus, is a class above his midfield counterparts, seemingly in perpetuity.
The ageless wonder completed 95 of 100 passes against the Old Lady. You’ll have to read that stat repeatedly to absorb fully how truly staggering those numbers are.
Next: Player ratings in epic 2-2 draw at Juventus
Dembéle, had it not been for Eriksen’s demigod-like outing, would have taken top-dawg plaudits.
In his 31st Champions League match, and first in the knockout round, the deft Dane deserves man-of-the-match distinction in his debutant’s ball on the most grandiose stage.