Spurs targeting win in Barcelona to make last 16
LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur must do what no English club has done in 11 years and win in Barcelona in the Champions League next month if it is to be guaranteed an unlikely place in the last 16.
Christian Eriksen’s 80thminute winner gave Tottenham a deserved 10 victory over Inter Milan in London yesterday, a result that lifted it above the Italians into second place in group B by virtue of its better headtohead record.
But it must match Inter’s result in the final round of group games and, with Luciano Spalletti’s side hosting bottom club PSV Eindhoven, that means victory in Spain will almost certainly be required by Spurs on its first visit to the Nou Camp since losing 10 in the 1982 Cup Winners Cup semifinal.
‘‘All is possible. I never say it is mission impossible. In football all can happen, you need to believe,’’ Pochettino said. after a nervy night at Wembley.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp remained positive despite seeing his side slip to a 21 defeat at Paris St Germain, labelling next month’s winnertakesall clash against Napoli an Anfield ‘‘final’’.
Group C leader Napoli, which travels to Liverpool on December 11, is three points clear of the English Premier League side, but a 10 win, or a victory by a twogoal margin or more, will enable Klopp’s men to reach the last 16 of the Champions League once more.
‘Now we have to use Anfield one more time. We are calling Anfield right now, and we will see what happens,’’ Klopp said.
Goals from Juan Bernat and Neymar set PSG on its way to a crucial victory that revives its own Champions League campaign, meaning it will reach the knockout stages if it gains three points against Red Star Belgrade in its final match.
Liverpool rallied after James Milner’s penalty got it back in the contest, but an equaliser eluded it in the second half.
Napoli swept aside Red Star Belgrade with a typically entertaining performance as two goals from Dries Mertens helped it to a 31 win over the former European champion.
Napoli stayed top of group C with nine points from five games while the Serbian champion, on four points, was eliminated after shipping 13 goals in its three away games.
Atletico Madrid clinched its place in the last 16, beating AS Monaco 20 at home while also ensuring that Thierry Henry’s hapless visiting side will now even miss out on qualification for the Europa League.
Koke scored Atletico’s fastest Champions League goal within two minutes and Antoine Griezmann added a second after 25 minutes before any hopes of a late Monaco comeback were ended with Radamel Falcao’s 83rdminute missed penalty.
Lionel Messi scored an excellent individual goal as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 21 to secure top spot in group B.
Messi also provided an assist for defender Gerard Pique to score the second for the Spanish side, which has 13 points
from its five matches and an unassailable lead at the top of the pool. PSV will finish bottom.
In other matches, FC Porto beat Schalke 31, Lokomotiv Moscow downed Galatasaray 20 and Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge drew 00.