Tottenham 1 Juventus 2: Spurs exit Champions League after Wembley sucker-punch

Tottenham’s hopes of a place in the Champions League quarter-finals were torn apart in three heart-wrenching minutes at Wembley as Juventus recovered from a goal down to end Mauricio Pochettino’s dream run.

Spurs have toppled both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund here at the national stadium already this season, and looked to be on the way to another scalp following Heung-min Son’s opener.

However, two goals from the Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in three second-half minutes put an end to a memorable European run for Spurs.

Pochettino’s side came into the tie as slight favourites, a burden they are far from used to bearing on such a big stage.

However, they looked comfortable with the weight of the occasion in the early exchanges as Son stung the palms of Gianluigi Buffon inside five minutes.

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The Italian champions began to settle, though, and have every right to be angry at not having a chance to open the scoring from 12 yards.

As Douglas Costa spun and unleashed his remarkable pace against Jan Vertonghen, the Belgian stretched a leg and caught the forward within yards of Uefa’s additional assistant - a blatant foul, but no penalty was given.

The incident sparked life into the tie once more, but Spurs were still seeing the better chances, with Dele Alli feeding Son and then Harry Kane two brilliant chances in behind to no avail.

Son continued to trouble the Juventus defence, leaving Giorgio Chiellini in a knot before firing agonisingly wide of Buffon’s goal.

The South Korean didn’t have to wait long for his chance, though: after Andrea Barzagli looked to have put an end to a chance through Alli, Kieran Trippier latched onto the loose ball, firing it back to the feet of Son, whose miss-hit finish looped over Buffon.

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Massimiliano Allegri had warned there was ‘no reason’ that Dybala, Higuain and Costa could not start together, but his star men were not putting on the show expected of them at Wembley.

That all changed after half time, however. Two changes from Allegri, Kwadwo Asamoah replacing Blaise Matuidi and Stephen Lichtsteiner on in place of Medhi Benatia, put both Dybala and Higuain exactly where they wanted to be.

The shift to a 4-4-2 had the compatriots playing alongside one and other, and causing damage.

Huguain struck first, though it’s one Pochettino will not want to watch back again. Sami Khedira was allowed to rise and flick a cross on to the also unmarked Higuain to level.

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The two forwards then combined minutes later to tear Pochettino’s plan to pieces, With Davinson Sanchez pushing up, Higuain found the run of Dybala as the electric No.10 charged through the Tottenham offside trap before curling a wonderful finish away from Lloris.

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Pochettino had to react. Erik Lamela - having been left on the bench in place of Son - was introduced for Eric Dier, and Spurs went for it.

Chance after chance fell their way, with Chiellini before Buffon keeping the hosts out. Fernando Llorente was introduced for Alli with five minutes to go, but Allegri’s experienced back four continued to throw everything in front of Tottenham’s efforts.

Kane had been kept quiet for most of the tie, and was forced to look on in despair as his last-minute header struck the post before being fired into the Wembley sky by Barzagli.

Few expected Tottenham to even get this far; but having had one foot in the quarter-finals, the disappointment will not disappear quickly.

In Pictures | Champions League round of 16, second legs | 2017/18

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