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Kane leads Spurs’ recovery in 2-2 draw at Juventus

- / AP

At a crucial moment in its Champions League last-16 match on Tuesday, Tottenham survived against Juventus simply by standing still.

Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris chose not to dive in either direction as Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain approached to strike his second penalty of the game. With no big gaps appearing, Higuain smashed the ball straight down the middle and saw it cannon off the crossbar.

A goal would have given Juventus a commanding 3-1 lead at halftime. Instead, Spurs managed to recover from a terrible start and level in the second period to finish at 2-2, ahead of the second leg at Wembley on March 7.

Lloris had dived low to his right against Higuain’s successful first spot kick, getting a hand to the wellplaced penalty.

Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen scored in each half after Higuain had netted twice inside the opening nine minutes “I feel so proud,” Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We showed great character against a team that played two finals in three years, with amazing experience on the pitch.

“We are a young team in this competitio­n. To show that performanc­e is to be proud and to congratula­te the players because they were fantastic.” Juventus coach Massimilia­no Allegri reacted strongly afterward when it was suggested his team, which is going for a seventh successive Serie A title, should have beaten Spurs, which is fifth in the Premier League.

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