DORTMUND • Tottenham can be proud of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals but manager Mauricio Pochettino believes they must still improve to take on Europe's heavyweights.
They won 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday and eased into the last eight with a 4-0 aggregate win over the Bundesliga leaders.
"To move to the next level or the last level, I think it is not only today to show a very professional performance," Pochettino told reporters.
"It is so important to be in the quarter-final, but you need to show more if you want to be at the next level. To build that possibility to be at the same level as the clubs that we are talking about, you need to start from the first step always.
"We are (only) in the middle or 70 per cent of moving forward."
Spurs, however, looked efficient and clinical over the two legs, avoiding any of the mistakes that led to a bitter exit at the same stage last year at the hands of Juventus.
Pochettino's rope-a-dope game plan worked, absorbing the punches, and then dealing the knockout blow through Harry Kane on the counter, leaving Dortmund needing five goals and a miracle.
Â
Â
Â
A tactical tweak midway through the first half, pushing Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen wider, also gave Spurs greater control.
Kane will take the headlines for his goal shortly after the interval, but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris deserves plaudits for repeatedly denying Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Julian Weigl in the first half.
This was a test of Spurs' concentration, discipline, positioning, communication, resolve - and they passed with flying, lilywhite colours.
"We fully deserved this. We scored four goals, did not concede and this was against a team that is top of the Bundesliga with great players," said Pochettino, who was yesterday banned for two domestic matches and fined £10,000 (S$17,850) for confronting referee Mike Dean after the Premier League loss at Burnley last month.
"I think in the end it's not too much to analyse, it's just to enjoy that we are in the quarter-final.
"Along with the Premier League it is the most important competition, and... we will keep on going till the end."
REUTERS, THE TIMES, LONDON
Man Utd's Martial, Lingard to Miss Chelsea, Liverpool Matches The in-form duo will also miss Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford in the Premier League on February 24 and face a race against time to make the second leg of the last 16 tie against PSG in the French capital on March 6.
Man Utd's Martial, Lingard to miss Chelsea, Liverpool matches
Cristiano Ronaldo insists there is nothing to fear after suffering a hamstring injury in Portugal's 1-1 draw against Serbia on Monday, adding that he is "not worried" about it going forward.
Cristiano Ronaldo vows to return in 2 weeks amid fears of
Search for missing Cardiff City's Emiliano Sala resumes in
PSG win in first outing since Champions League nightmare March 14, 2019 PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) shook off their Champions League hangover and resumed their canter towards another French title on Tuesday night as they cruised to a 4-0 win in Dijon.
Ligue 1: PSG shake off Champions League nightmare with 4-0
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has revealed that the Spurs dressing room was 'fuming' after they failed to beat Wolves at Wembley. when people say that on social media, that is
Spurs' Winks shrugs off social media jibes after loss - espn.in
BOURNEMOUTH, England (REUTERS) - Burnley made a big step towards securing Premier League survival after coming back from a goal down to beat Bournemouth 3-1 away as their striker Ashley Barnes
Football: Impressive Burnley fight back to beat Bournemouth 3-1
Watford's Andre Gray strikes late to spoil Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City debut | Photo Credit: AP, File Image Watford's Andre Gray scored a stoppage-time winner as Leicester City began life under new boss Brendan Rodgers in underwhelming fashion, suffering a 2-1 defeat at his former club in the Premier League on Sunday.
Watford's Gray strikes late winner to spoil Rodgers
China strips South Korea of football trophy for disrespecting Panda Cup. China lodged a complaint upon South Korean footballers disrespecting their Panda Cup trophy by posing for a photo with a foot on trophy. S. Korean players asked for forgiveness but the apology was of no avail and players had to let go of trophy.
Welcome to the Official Man City FC website. Get all the latest news now, injury updates, TV match information, player info, match stats and highlights, plus tickets, shirts and much more.
Ben Chilwell opens up on Pep Guardiola chat as Man City boss
Ex-Dutch youth international Maguire seeks soaring start with Geylang Barry Maguire training with his Geylang teammates at Tampines Meridian JC on Wednesday. He wants to guide and help them to do
Ex-Dutch youth international Maguire seeks soaring start with
Football: Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top spot in
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen