Mauricio Pochettino revelled in Tottenham defying what he said many had dubbed mission impossible on Tuesday as they drew away to Barcelona and qualified for the Champions League's Last 16
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino revelled in Tottenham defying what he said many had dubbed mission impossible on Tuesday as they drew away to Barcelona and qualified for the Champions League's Last 16.
Spurs needed to match Inter Milan's result at home to PSV Eindhoven, which they did, thanks to Lucas Moura's 85th-minute equaliser snatching a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou. Inter were held to the same scoreline by PSV, sending Pochettino's side through in second place in Group B, despite them taking just a single point from their opening three games.
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"No-one believed in us," Pochettino said. "People said it was mission impossible, but we are here. It is a massive achievement for the club." Ousmane Dembele's superb early goal looked set to put Tottenham out, as Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Moura all missed excellent chances. Moura's late strike, however, set up a dramatic finale, with Spurs players left to wait after the final whistle for the finish to be confirmed in Italy.
Victory, and progress to the knock-out stages, represents an impressive achievement for Tottenham, particularly given they have had to play home games at Wembley this term while their new stadium continues to be delayed. "It is great for the club," Pochettino said. "It gives us the possibility to play Champions League in our new stadium, which will be a massive boost for the club."
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