Tottenham 1 Juventus 2 (agg: 3-4): Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala score two in three minutes to KO Spurs from Champions League


IT WILL be remembered for three minutes of madness.

Tottenham, no matter how their dreamy football is dressed up, are out of the Champions League.

Goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala put Juventus through
Goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala put Juventus through
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Tottenham can't believe they have thrown it away against Juventus
Tottenham can’t believe they have thrown it away against Juventus
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There are no gifts and no gimmes at this level.

Juventus, finalists in two of the last three seasons, dished out a brutal, ruthless lesson in the art of European football.

When Gonzalo Higuain scored Juve’s equaliser 64 minutes into this gripping tie, everybody inside this stadium knew what would happen next.

Three minutes later it duly did, with the ball rippling the back of Hugo Lloris’ net again when he was beaten by the mastery of Paulo Dybala.

Son Heung-Min had given Tottenham a lead in tie for first time
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Son Heung-Min had given Tottenham a lead in tie for first time[/caption]

This was classic smash and grab.

Juventus, a goal down when Heung-Min Son put Spurs into a dreamy first half lead, did not panic.

There is a lesson in there for Spurs.

They blew it, strangled by this Juventus side when they started to show a little bit more adventure after the break.

Fans pay their respects to former Fiorentina defender Davide Astori
Fans pay their respects to former Fiorentina defender Davide Astori
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Gonzalo Higuain nips in to give Juventus hope by pulling goal back at Wembley
Gonzalo Higuain nips in to give Juventus hope by pulling goal back at Wembley
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The biggest clubs, the Real Madrid’s, the Barcelona’s, the Juve’s of this world, have the ability to pull these ties out of the bag.

They soak it all up, allowing the opposition and their frenzied fans to get carried away with a first half lead.

Then they come for you.

They were done all ends up by the expertise and chicanery of one European football’s most decorated clubs.

It is painful to accept for Tottenham, but they are still wannabes at this level.

Out in the second round, realistically, is nowhere.

Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were Juventus' goal scoring heroes at Wembley
Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were Juventus’ goal scoring heroes at Wembley
REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

To watch Juve defend after Dybala’s second was to watch a masterclass, containing Tottenham’s increasingly desperate attacks.

Gianluigi Buffon was not going to be beaten again.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were so excitable, 3-2 ahead on the night when Son put them ahead.

Son, monstering Andrea Barzagli every time he sprinted down the left in that first half, had been sensational in that Spurs shirt.

He scored, steering Kieran Tripper’s cross beyond the great Gianluigi Buffon six minutes before half-time.

Then it was bedlam.

They had stayed true to their attacking principles, just as Pochettino promised they would.

Tottenham attacked, attacked, and attacked again.

Time ran out for Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino in Champions League
Time ran out for Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino in Champions League
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Son was the destroyer, twisting and turning his way through this legendary Juventus defence every time Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Harry Kane could find him.

He was loving life out on the left, eager to add to his remarkable Wembley goal tally.

Son hit two more at the weekend, warming up for a big Champions League night with a double against Huddersfield.

He had just skewed wide of the target, getting his angles wrong when he charged through on goal seven minutes before the break.

Less than 60 seconds later he scored.

Kane, filling in at full-back, picked out Eriksen, Dele’s shot was blocked and Trippier came flying in from the right.

Son was waiting for his cross, turning his effort beyond Buffon to nudge Tottenham ahead on aggregate.

He has scored 14 of his 16 goals for Spurs at Wembley and this one looked like it would be the most important for he lot.

Son looks the part, operating at warp speed whenever he flies down that left wing.

Barzagli, struggling to stop him, left his stamp on this second leg.

He twice caught Son with sly first half digs that should have been punished by Marciniak.

It was stirring stuff out there, operating at full throttle whenever they went flying forward.

Paulo Dybala fired Juventus ahead after they had been trailing 1-0
Paulo Dybala fired Juventus ahead after they had been trailing 1-0
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Andrea Barzagli produces heroic late clearance of line to deny Tottenham
Andrea Barzagli produces heroic late clearance of line to deny Harry Kane
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They survived a streaky moment first half moment, when Juventus correctly demanded a penalty when Jan Vertonghen took out Douglas Costa 17 minutes in.

It was clear as day, dot on the card stuff for Polish referee Szymon Marciniak to point to the spot.

He bottled it.

So did the sixth official, standing still when it was screaming out for him to tip Marciniak the wink.

The eyeballs were popping out of the sockets of Juve’s players, surrounding the official and demanding answers.

He did not have them.

Neither did Spurs when Gonzalo Higuain scored 64 minutes in, beating Hugo Lloris after Sami Khedira touched on Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross from the right.

Spurs could not settle, wondering whether they should stick or twist.

They could not re-organise in time, failing to respond or show the kind of composure that the most experienced sides show at this level.

Son Heung-Min looks dejected as another major chance goes begging
Son Heung-Min looks dejected as another major chance goes begging
REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Dybala was grateful for it, racing through on goal when Ben Davies failed to move up in time to catch him offside.

Higuain had played him in, given too much time to turn before Dybala ran through to lift his effort beyond Lloris.

Tottenham chucked players forward, with Kane hitting the angle of post and bar in added time when he met Ben Davies’ cross.

Buffon survived, with defenders scrambling to his rescue to clear the danger.

Tottenham tried again, but throwing bodies forward to try to take this second leg into extra-time with a dramatic equaliser.

Sadly for Spurs, they did not have another goal in them.


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