Tottenham defeated Marseille on a dramatic and tense evening in France, coming from behind in stoppage time to advance as Champions League Group D winners.
On a night when they were were about to be eliminated from the competition, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s goal in the 95th minute ensured Tottenham’s advancement to the round of 16.
Spurs needed a draw to advance from the group, but Marseille took the lead just before halftime thanks to defender Chancel Mbemba.
Read Also:Antonio Conte says Spurs win piles pressure on Arsenal for top-four race
Prior to Clement Lenglet’s equalizing goal early in the second half, Spurs had slid to third in the standings and were entering the Europa League.
As Marseille battled for the victory they needed to advance, they were caught on the break and Hojbjerg secured the victory for Tottenham, who were desperately clinging to the lead.
The outcome of every game in Group D had an impact on Tottenham’s chances of moving on in the competition, making it a thrilling evening.
Spurs ultimately won the group after Frankfurt defeated Sporting Lisbon 2-1 at home, but they briefly fell to third place and were eliminated from the competition. Throughout the course of the game, three different teams had the group lead at some point.
Hojbjerg’s late winner also caused Marseille to finish last in the group, which prevented them from qualifying for the Europa League and the Champions League’s knockout round.
Alexis Sanchez, a former Arsenal striker, and Jordan Veretout were both denied goals for Marseille during Tottenham’s prolonged period of pressure before the second half.
Just after the interval, Harry Kane came inches away from converting a cross to tie the score, but Lenglet benefited from Spurs’ progress by cleverly heading in an Ivan Perisic free-kick to make it 2-1.
After Kane of Tottenham had a goal disallowed for being blatantly offside, Hojbjerg hit the crossbar with a shot.
With fewer than 10 minutes left, Marseille had a golden opportunity to make it 2-1, but Sanchez’s effort was critically stopped by Perisic from close range, and then former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac headed wide when unmarked.
However, Tottenham was able to hold on, and in the last seconds, Kane held the ball up before sliding the ball through for Hojbjerg to score and calm a rowdy crowd in Marseille.