- Spurs stay alive
- Eriksen smashes Sissoko-inspired goal
- Inter packs it in
Christian Eriksen’s late goal kept Spurs’ UEFA Champions League hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Spurs and Inter are now tied on seven points, six behind Barcelona.
Spurs hold the tiebreaker due to away goals in head-to-head games, but have to match or better Inter’s point total on the final day. Spurs are away to Barcelona, while Inter is home to PSV Eindhoven.
[ MORE: Champions League standings ]
The match’s early stages were physical and foul-heavy, especially on Inter’s side, and Serge Aurier was especially lively on the right wing.
Erik Lamela nearly produced a highlight reel goal with a 20th minute arrow across goal that just missed the upper 90.
Harry Winks struck the cross bar with a curling shot in the 38th minute, as Inter seemed well-pleased to pack it into the 18.
[ LIVE: Champions League scores ]1 - Christian Eriksen’s goal was the first scored by a Spurs substitute in the Champions League since November 2010, when Roman Pavlyuchenko also netted against Inter Milan. Throwback.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 28, 2018
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]
Lucas Moura won a corner for Spurs early in the second half. Played short, Serge Aurier won another with his drive. Inter cleared the danger.
Heung-min Son injected instant life into the Spurs attack, the substitute winning a corner kick with a dribble into the left side of the box.
Dele Alli side volleyed wide soon after, as Spurs continued their efforts to break the stubborn Inter back line. Jan Vertonghen had a back post headed bounced to the right of the near post following a long free kick from the left.
That’s when Spurs got a moment which could prove to be monumental. Moussa Sissoko drove through the right side of the Inter defense and played central to Dele at the spot, who turned and laid off to Eriksen for a bullet finish.