Tottenham show resilience to defy Champions League odds as Christian Eriksen shines at Camp Nou

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP11 December 2018

Tottenham, against the odds, have reached the Champions League knockout stages after a 1-1 draw with Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Ousmane Dembele, getting the better of rookie Kyle Walker-Peters, put Barcelona ahead inside 10 minutes but Spurs fought back in the second half and equalised through Lucas Moura.

PSV held Inter Milan to a draw at San Siro to confirm Tottenham's passage into the last-16 stage, in what was a landmark result for Mauricio Pochettino & Co.

Dan Kilpatrick was at Camp Nou to assess the key talking points...

REUTERS

Spurs show remarkable resilience

For the second time in as many Champions League games, Tottenham left it late to secure a memorable result – a 1-1 draw at Barcelona to reach the knockouts with one of the competition's great turnarounds. Irrespective of Barca's XI, which did not include Lionel Messi, or Inter Milan's 1-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven – which ensured Spurs' passage to the last-16 courtesy of a superior head-to-head record against the Italians – Spurs deserved at least a point in the Nou Camp and they deserved to qualify for the way they have returned from the dead in Group B.

After three group games, and defeats to Inter and Barca, they had just one point but they never stopped believing, producing late shows to beat PSV and the Italians at home and draw here. The way Spurs kept probing Barca, now unbeaten at Camp No in 29 home Champions League games, spoke of the remarkable character Mauricio Pochettino has installed in the squad, even as the Catalans back-up goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made save after save. In the end it was one of their standout performances under the Argentine after they went behind. Last season, Spurs cruised through the group before falling at the first hurdle in the knockouts. They will hope for a better show this year and can take confidence from a fine evening.

Action Images via Reuters

Walker-Peters gamble backfires

Do or die. Sink or swim. Make or break. Dream or nightmare. For Kyle Walker-Peters, there was no safe middle ground at the Nou Camp, as injuries handed the 21-year-old the biggest challenge of his short career. Inside seven minutes, he was slumped on the turf after a mistake for Barca's opening goal. Receiving Sissoko's header, he tried to turn on the halfway line but was caught by Ousmane Dembele, who proceeded to skin the 21-year-old and turn him inside out before slotting past Hugo Lloris. It was a wonderful goal from a sublime talent – and Sissoko and Eriksen were sloppy in the build-up.

But it was hard not to feel like Mauricio Pochettino's gamble in starting Walker-Peters had backfired badly, particularly when England's Eric Dier, who is comfortable at right-back, was among the subs. Walker-Peters earned an element of redemption in the second half when he made a fine block to deny Coutinho but overall he looked out of his depth, and his error could easily have cost Spurs.

Action Images via Reuters

Spurs make another early mistake

Walker-Peters' mistake, while poor, needs to be viewed in the context of Spurs' Champions League campaign, which has been littered with individual errors. It was not the first time they have conceded early against an elite European side. It was not even the first time this season, after Hugo Lloris dropped a clanger inside 90 seconds in the 4-2 defeat to Barca at Wembley.

There was a certain predictability about Spurs' conceding an early, preventable goal on this stage and although thereafter they played superbly, they should not have been in that position in the first place. They must cut out the mistakes in the last-16, where they did the same against Juventus last year, or they will find all their hard work counts for nothing again.

AFP/Getty Images

Eriksen superb

Christian Eriksen's position at Spurs has arguably never been less secure, given the resurgence of substitutes Erik Lamela, who played a part in the equaliser, and Lucas Moura, who scored it. Pochettino has been happy to rest Eriksen since a niggling abdominal problem, suggesting the Dane is no longer one of the manager's undroppables. But at Camp Nou, Eriksen was Spurs' standout player, proving again – just as he did at the Juventus Stadium last season – that he is a man for the big occasion.

The playmaker dragged Barca's defenders out of position with his tireless running into the channels, and kept popping up in threatening positions. Ultimately, he was unlucky not to score as Cillessen twice made fine saves in the second half. Spurs have more options behind Kane than ever before, with Dele Alli and Heung-min Son also battling for starts, but Eriksen should be the first pick among them on his form.

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