Champions League: Spurs collapse while Man City advances

Both EPL teams lost 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Spurs early first-half lead was lost in a five-minute span. Man City took it easy at home.

The Champions League now has two English teams in the quarterfinals. Manchester City fell at home to Basel while Tottenham lost an away-goal advantage in the second half against Juventus. It was an entertaining day of football in England to close out the Champions League action for the week. Spurs and Man City will both have very different futures after today’s result.

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Tottenham 1-2 Juventus

Spurs played great in the first half attacking and get shots on Gianluigi Buffon’s goal. Son Heung-Min scored in the 39th minute to give Tottenham the lead. He was the best player on the pitch in the first half.

Spurs stuck with Vertonghen and Sanchez in the back and it worked for the first 45. In the second 45, Juventus found the space it needed to equalize through Gonzalo Higuain. Paulo Dybala made his heroic return to the Champions League in style with the eventual winner just three minutes after Higuain’s goal.

Tottenham inched closer and closer to extra time with many opportunities in the last 15 minutes. Juventus’ defense held strong with Chiellini, Benatia, and Buffon diving in front of shots. The match did not disappoint in the slightest with both teams going at each other all game.

Spurs are the first EPL side eliminated from the Champions League. Tottenham’s only chance at a trophy is the FA Cup. The core of Kane, Alli, Eriksen, and Pochettino once again will not lift the Champions League or the Premier League. What does that mean for the future at Tottenham?

The Future of Spurs

For starters, Mauricio Pochettino might take his managerial talents elsewhere. Pochettino has proven he can build a team from scratch and get them to compete. No trophies to boast. He could move on to Spain, France, or even Italy. Spurs might have a new man when they open the new ground for the 2018-19 campaign.

Personel wise, Harry Kane rumors will begin to float around more than ever after the season ends. Kane has become a top-class striker that should be on a team that is competing for trophies every year. The most important three weeks for Harry Kane will come in Russia at the World Cup.

A good performance for him at the World Cup might mean Kane trades Spurs white for Madrid white. This Tottenham core has the quality to compete with the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. They just don’t have the money to buy that top-class player to get them over the trophy hump.

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Manchester City 1-2 Basel

Manchester City is through to the Champions League quarterfinals for the second time in four seasons. The 4-0 win in Switzerland was already enough to put them in the last eight. Gabriel Jesus’ goal in the eighth minute got them the 5-0 aggregate lead they sort of needed. Okay well not really.

Basel fought and handed Guardiola his fourth loss of the season. They join Liverpool, Wigan, and Shakhtar Donetsk as the only teams who could score more goals in a game than Man City.

City into the quarters is no shock. They are the best team in Europe with the Premier League title virtually secured and impressive performances year-round. The biggest test for Pep Guardiola is yet to come.

Many superstar teams will be in the Champions League quarterfinals. Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Juventus join City as the first four teams in and the other four won’t be too far off. The weakest team will be the Donetsk-Roma winner. Bayern is through. A combination of United, Sevilla, Chelsea, and Barcelona will make it in as well. The likelihood of a tough draw for City is high and they will be ready for a true, quality test.