Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 Olympiacos
Jose Mourinho continues his winning return for Tottenham as he would guide them to clinch a spot in the next round of the Champions League with a 4-2 win over Olympiacos in his first match at the Tottenham Spurs Stadium.
The Spurs were in grave danger for an upset after being down 0-2 during the match’s first 20 minutes, but the club came out firing in the second half and they played with more inspiration en route to the win.
Dele Alli supplied the first goal for Tottenham after witnessing Youssef El-Arabi and Ruben Semedo score once each for Olympiacos. And that was followed up by a goal from Serge Aurier and a brace by Harry Kane.
The win effectively cemented their place for the next round. Bayern Munich are leading Group B with 15 points while Tottenham is not far behind with 10. Crvena zvezda and Olympiacos’ Champions League 2019 odds to make it in the next round are virtually zero as they only have three and one respectively.
Allow SBOBET to help you re-live the best Champions League 2019 highlights of this thrilling match.
Highlights of the game
Unfazed by the raucous crowd in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Olympiacos pushed the pace and had some great chances in the early going.
Daniel Podence had the first shot on target of the evening when he fired a long strike just outside the penalty area, but Paulo Gazzaniga was there to block it.
Two minutes later, Olympiacos draw first blood when Youssef El-Arabi let out a wonderful leftie finish right past Gazzaniga.
Tottenham looked to make a counter on that by using the long ball, but Jose Sa showed great instincts and aerial ability to prevent any chances from happening.
Ruben Semedo then scored Olympiacos’ second goal of the evening in the 19th minute after a lovely corner flick by Guilherme. The ball curved and went past multiple defenders to find Semedo for a clinical finish.
Harry Kane would try to score on his own in the 21st minute after racing past Olympiacos defenders, but his shot went too wide to the left.
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho made a bold move in the 29th minute by subbing in Christian Eriksen to replace Eric Dier to load up on their attack. This move paid dividends and these types of moves are the reason why the team got him in the first place.
Dele Alli would finally net a goal for Tottenham right before ending the first half by kicking one in after a beautiful volley by Serge Aurier. Olympiacos defender Yassine Meriah fell asleep in what was a tame cross by Serge Aurier which gave Alli a sliver of daylight.
In the 50th minute, Lucas Moura teed up Harry Kane for a cool finish in order to wipe out Olympiacos’ early lead. Tottenham’s ball boy showed his wit by giving the ball right away to Serge Aurier’s throw-in, leading to a quick attack for Kane’s first goal.
“I love intelligent ball boys, like I was. He made an important assist, so it’s a good moment for him and he’ll never forget it,” mentioned Mourinho after the match.
Serge Aurier would shatter the deadlock in the 73rd minute when he found himself wide open in the penalty area for a low, right finish after a rasping half volley.
Harry Kane would complete his brace moments later when he headed home a Christian Eriksen free-kick from long distance to seal the deal for Tottenham.
The Spurs’ defence would hold it down for Jose Mourinho’s side as Olympiacos never had a chance in the match’s last 15 minutes.
Key statistics
Tottenham had more total shots (12), shots on target (5), possession (59-per cent), and passes completed (500). Four yellow cards were given away to Olympiacos compared to only one for Tottenham.
Forward Harry Kane became the fastest player to score 20 goals in the Champions League in just 24 appearances breaking the record previously held by former Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero.
This marks the first time ever for Jose Mourinho to win a Champions League match after roaring back from two goals down. He had lost 13 previous games when facing such deficit.
What’s next?
The Spurs are set to face Bournemouth on Saturday as they’ll try to extend their renaissance, and they’ll face Bayern Munich on December 12 to round out their group stage matches.
Olympiacos will lock horns with PAOK and Panetolikos first in the Greece Super League before clashing with Crvena zvezda to cap off their last Group B match.
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