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Tottenham Hotspur went into Tuesday night’s Champions League assembly with Olympique de Marseille understanding {that a} level on the Orange Vélodrome would see them qualify for the knockout phases of the competitors for the primary time since 2019/20.
Nevertheless, a towering header from former Newcastle United centre-back Chancel Mbemba late within the first half gave the house facet a well-deserved lead – with the Ligue 1 membership having dominated Spurs for the opening 45 minutes.
Upon the beginning of the second half, nevertheless – as has so usually been the case for Conte’s facet this season – Tottenham seemed like a very completely different workforce, with the Premier League outfit lastly starting to place their foot on the ball in Marseille territory.
Quickly after, a Clement Lenglet header from Ivan Perišić’s implausible supply pulled the guests degree, and, whereas ex-Arsenal defender Sead Kolašinac missed a wonderful probability to reclaim the lead for Marseille within the dying phases of the match, it might be Spurs who finally went on to say the three factors, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg firing dwelling with the final kick of the sport.
Nevertheless, whereas Conte will little question be delighted along with his facet’s development to the knockout phases of Europe’s most prestigious membership competitors, Tottenham’s first-half show will however be an enormous trigger for concern for the Italian, as will the person performances of various his beginning XI on the evening.
The likes of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min – previous to his withdrawal attributable to damage – had been each significantly abject over the course of the primary 45 minutes, though, it was arguably the show of Ryan Sessegnon that may have most disenchanted Conte.
Certainly, regardless of being deployed on the alternative flank to his traditional left wing-back function on the Orange Vélodrome, the 22-year-old struggled to make any actual influence on the sport in any respect, having fun with simply 18 touches of the ball – 19 lower than Hugo Lloris between the Spurs sticks – finishing simply six of his eight tried passes and commuting two fouls.
The £21.8m-rated expertise additionally received simply certainly one of his 4 tried duels – a hit charge of a mere 25% – and ceded possession of the ball on 4 separate events – that means that, with each 4.5 touches he loved – the England U21 worldwide misplaced the ball for his facet.
These returns not solely noticed the wing-back – who self-confessed Spurs supporter Lee Barratt claimed seemed “like a boy” on Tuesday – earn a properly below-par SofaScore match score of simply 6.5, however additionally they noticed him hooked by Conte at half-time.
Moreover, soccer.london’s Alasdair Gold additionally awarded the £55k-per-week flanker a 4 in his personal participant rankings, in addition to stating of the defender’s show:
“Shaky on the correct within the first half earlier than being switched to the left earlier than the break. Shepherded out the ball that ended up being given as a nook regardless of the linesman flagging for a objective kick, and Marseille duly scored from it. Taken off at half-time after a troublesome first half.”
Certainly, whereas Sessegnon is undoubtedly a particularly gifted younger prospect, the 22-year-old very a lot let Conte down in opposition to Marseille.
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