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Juventus come from behind to knock Spurs out of UEFA Champions League

SherDil

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Juventus reached the final of the Champions League in 2016-17, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in the final

Tottenham's Champions League ambitions came crashing down as Juventus produced two goals inside three second-half minutes to decide the destiny of their last-16 tie.

Son Heung-min's scrambled finish six minutes before the interval strengthened Spurs' position at Wembley after they recovered from two goals down to draw the first leg in Turin 2-2.

In an eventful first 45 minutes, Son and Harry Kane had wasted chances for the hosts, while Juventus were denied a clear penalty when Douglas Costa was brought down by Jan Vertonghen.

Tottenham appeared to be in control until Gonzalo Higuain turned in Sami Khedira's flick to give Juventus a 64th-minute lifeline - which they capitalised on ruthlessly and Paulo Dybala raced clear for the decisive goal three minutes later.

Mauricio Pochettino's side fought to revive their chances but to no avail, coming agonisingly close in the dying moments when Kane's header hit the inside of the post but bounced right on the goal-line.

For Spurs, who last reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2010-11, it was a first defeat in 18 matches, while Juventus are unbeaten since 22 November - a run of 20 games.

The London club are the first English team to be eliminated from this season's Champions League. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Manchester City lost 2-1 to Basel but went through 5-2 aggregate win to join Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

Manchester United and Chelsea could make it four Premier League sides in the last eight of Europe's top club competition when they play the second legs of their ties next week.

United entertain Sevilla on Tuesday following a goalless first leg in Spain, before Chelsea play at Barcelona on Wednesday after it finished 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Heartbreak as Spurs fall short again
Pochettino has performed outstanding work in piecing together an exciting and talented Tottenham team - but familiar questions will be asked after this devastating loss.

Spurs showed maturity as well as excellence to come from two goals down to earn a draw in Turin in the first leg, putting themselves in a favourable position to finish the job and secure a place in the quarter-finals.

And yet, from a position of strength bolstered even further by Son's goal just before the interval, Spurs once again came up short.

There is no doubting the quality in this Tottenham side and they were excellent in spells at Wembley, but with two Premier League title campaigns promising much but unable to deliver and an FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea last season, the requirement for tangible success is intensifying.

The hosts missed chances and suffered ill luck in the closing moments when Kane's header somehow stayed out, but in the end they paid a heavy price for three minutes of slackness that undid all the fine work from the first leg.

The best sides back up quality with trophies. Spurs now need the FA Cup this season.

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Son Heung-min has scored 16 goals for Tottenham this season, including five in his past three matches
Juve survive injustice to show familiar steel
Juventus could have been forgiven for believing luck was against them when referee Szymon Marciniak and his assistant somehow failed to penalise Vertonghen for a first-half challenge on Costa in the area.

They had been put under pressure by Spurs and survived a succession of near misses - but showed their ruthlessness to deliver those two devastating blows and then the resilience to fiercely protect their advantage.

Juventus have a streak of experience a mile wide through the core of Massimiliano Allegri's side and it was epitomised when the old firm of keeper Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini celebrated as if a goal had been scored after the veteran defender made a crucial clearance late on.

And for Buffon, who has previously said he will conclude a glittering careerif Juve fail to win the Champions League this season, the dream lives on.

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Juventus were denied a 17th-minute penalty when Jan Vertonghen appeared to foul Douglas Costa
Son's mixed night
Son's outstanding season continued as he scored the goal that put Spurs in control of this tie until they let it slip from their grasp.

The South Korea international has now scored 16 goals in 42 games this term and been involved in 25 goals in total, testimony to his growing influence.

And yet it could have been even better. He forced an early save from Buffon and fired another good opportunity across the face of goal before scoring with a scuffed finish.

Son was inches off target late on as Spurs pressed - his performance mirroring that of his team on a night when they got plenty right but could not make the crucial moments count.

Man of the match - Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
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Giorgio Chiellini has six Serie A titles to his name with Juventus but never won the Champions League
'Three minutes of sheer madness' - analysis
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 live

I'm shell-shocked and so are the Spurs players. It was three minutes of sheer madness - they were in total control in the first half.

Juventus love defending. They defended for their lives and they saw the game out pretty well.

Higuain took his chance when he got it and you have to say the second goal was beautifully worked.

Spurs will feel unlucky, especially after that Harry Kane chance in the last minute.

Pochettino is a dreamer, but this turned into a nightmare. They've been put out by a side who were cuter, more street-wise, and took their chances.

Dybala finds the net when it matters - stats
  • Tottenham became only the third side out of 13 to have drawn 2-2 away from home in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stages to be eliminated - after Bayern Munich against AC Milan in 2007 and Porto against Manchester United in 2009.
  • Juventus have now reached the quarter-finals in three of the past four campaigns. This was the first time they have progressed against an English side in five attempts in the competition.
  • Juve have now gone 21 matches without defeat, the longest such ongoing run of all the sides in the top five European leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain). Of the four goals they have conceded in those 21 games, Spurs have scored three of them (75%).
  • Tottenham conceded more than one goal in a home Champions League game for just the second time, having previously done so in September 2016 against Monaco (lost 1-2).
  • Son has been involved in 22 goals (14 goals, eight assists) in 23 appearances at Wembley this season for Tottenham - more than any other player.
  • Indeed, this is Son's best return in a single Champions League season (four goals), surpassing the three he netted for Bayer Leverkusen in 2014-15.
  • Higuain scored and assisted in the same Champions League game for the first time since November 2011 when playing for Real Madrid against Dinamo Zagreb.
  • Before his goal, Dybala had attempted the most shots without scoring (28) of any player in this season's Champions League.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43306558
 
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