Three takeaways from Tottenham return to the Champions League
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Hotspur was not impressive in the 2-0 win over Marseille but did a few things that should leave fans confident about the run ahead.
Tottenham can make something out of nothing, even on a bad day
The end score line read 2-0 Spurs, but anyone watching the game knows Tottenham struggled through most of the first 45 minutes and even a bit after taking a man advantage. However, despite their struggles, Tottenham created something out of almost nothing producing a play that changed the game.
Things started with a Cristian Romero pass up field to Richarlison that the Brazilian flicked on to no one in particular. This allowed Marseille to clear the ball up the pitch, with Eric Dier and Pierre Hojbjerg almost running into each other to win possession.
Dier was able to head the ball to a retreating Romero as Hojbjerg held off a charging Marseille attack with a little old-school obstruction. Romero gathered possession as he continued to retreat, and he played the ball back to Dier, who had not stopped falling back on the play.
At this point, with Dier only about eight yards from his own end line, the play got going. Dier’s hit a one-touch pass up the pitch to Hojbjerg, who tried to turn, only to immediately get tackled by a converging Marseille defense. As the ball popped out, Emerson Royal was alert and controlled the ball, quickly turning up the pitch and finding the feet of Richarlison.
The Brazilian forward did well with a defender draped on his back to hold the ball and then touch it back toward Hojbjerg, who had jumped up from the tackle only a second earlier and was busting a gut to get into the play.
At this point, Hojbjerg was racing to get to what was a 50/50 ball that had two Marseille players rushing toward it along with the Dane. Fortunately, Pierre got to the ball and touched it to Heung-min Son.
Son took one touch to control and played the ball square to Harry Kane but never stopped running as he passed the ball. Kane took a touch himself to turn and face the Marseille goal. From here, it was like taking candy from a baby for Kane as he hit the perfectly weighted through ball to Son, who got a touch in before being fouled by Chancel Mbemba, decisively tilting the game toward Spurs.
The play only took about 20 seconds from Marseille clearance to the Mbemba tackle. It was truly something out of nothing for Tottenham and showed how Spurs could do something dangerous quickly, even on an off day.