3-1 v Real Madrid - 1 November 2017 - Home

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 3

Real Madrid

Real Madrid

1

  • Ronaldo
    80'
Details
Match Number

7260

Opposition
Real madrid

Real Madrid

Competition
Champions league

Champions League

Round / Leg

Group Stage

Season

2017/18

Date

1st November 2017

Kick Off

19:45

Venue

Wembley

Attendance

83,782

Referee

Cüneyt Çakır

Weather at Kick Off

9.5° - Clear

Facts & Milestones
  • 7224th overall match (3447 wins, 1591 draws, 2173 losses)

  • 5638th competitive match (2539 wins, 1323 draws, 1776 losses)

  • team

    9th match vs Real Madrid (1 win, 2 draws, 6 losses)

  • competition

    22nd Champions League match (10 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses)

  • 6602nd match in England (3105 wins, 1484 draws, 2000 losses)

  • 42nd match at Wembley (18 wins, 8 draws, 16 losses)

  • There were 3 changes to the starting lineup from the last match.

Report

Tottenham secured qualification for the Champions League knockout phase with an outstanding display to beat holders Real Madrid on a memorable night at Wembley.

Spurs, with striker Harry Kane fit again after a hamstring injury, showed intensity and quality to make their mark on the Champions League after going out at the group stage last season.

Dele Alli gave Spurs the lead after 27 minutes when he turned in Kieran Trippier's cross from close range, then doubled the advantage early in the second half with a shot that took a deflection off Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

Christian Eriksen provided a cool finish from Kane's pass for the third and even though Cristiano Ronaldo pulled one back for Real with 10 minutes left, it was too little, too late, as Spurs made a powerful statement about their European aspirations.

The only blip for Spurs was the injury to defender Toby Alderweireld who came off with a hamstring injury in the 24th minute. The Belgian said he would be "out for a few weeks".

They lead Group H with 10 points, three more than second-place Real while both Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia have two points after they drew 1-1.

Tottenham's success also came on a excellent night for English clubs in Champions League action with Manchester City winning 4-2 at Napoli and Liverpool recording a 3-0 victory over Maribor.

In a BBC Sport poll, 42% of voters picked Tottenham to make the quarter-finals in the Champions League.

Alli has fallen just short of his very best this season - but against the Champions League holders, he produced a display to savour.

The 21-year-old is bound to suffer peaks and troughs at this early stage in his career and he has received unfavourable headlines this season. He was criticised for a dive as Spurs won at Huddersfield in September, and was involved in a well-chronicled spat with Ashley Young during Saturday's defeat at Manchester United.

Alli also served a one-match international suspension following a gesture he made during England's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia at Wembley.

However, it was all good news on this night, as he strolled majestically through midfield - no doubt impressing the watching Real Madrid hierarchy who have followed his rise at Spurs with interest.

Alli was the poacher as he stole in on Trippier's cross for his first goal - and while his second owed much to a heavy deflection off Ramos, it was reward for another surging run at the heart of the Real Madrid defence.

He should have had a hat-trick when he headed wide of an open goal, but it was a minor blemish.

England manager Gareth Southgate was an interested spectator at Wembley and he will have been delighted to see Alli in such form, as well as Kane back from injury, as he prepares for testing friendlies against Germany and Brazil in November.

Mauricio Pochettino's name was sung loud and long at Wembley as his exciting Spurs side played in the manner that has become the Argentine's trademark.

Real Madrid were on the receiving end of a performance in pressing intensity, pace and power as Tottenham's manager conducted affairs, standing yards from counterpart Zinedine Zidane on the touchline.

Pochettino has yet to bring silverware to Spurs since his appointment in May 2014 but there can be no denying the progress they have made, nor the regard in which he is held by his squad.

He received plaudits when Spurs earned an excellent draw at the Bernabeu on 17 October. The manner of their win here had his imprint all across it.

Spurs may be waiting to cross that bridge to winning a trophy but this is a team and manager on an upward trajectory, as Real Madrid have discovered.

The scenes of elation that swept around Wembley at the final whistle proved how far Tottenham have come in a year - and how they can sit comfortably alongside the Champions League elite.

It was a sharp contrast to last season, when Spurs failed to advance from the group stage after defeats by Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen at Wembley, and were then knocked out of the Europa League in the last 32 by Gent.

This was a Tottenham team at ease against the best. It is too early to speculate just how far they can go, but in this mood, Spurs can pose a threat to anyone.

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