Tottenham face a tense night against Marseille in their final Champions League group game to secure a place in the knockout phase after being denied victory in a dramatic finale against Sporting Lisbon.
Spurs knew victory would guarantee a place in the last 16 but they laboured for long periods before being denied a last-gasp winner when Harry Kane’s strike was ruled out for offside with manager Antonio Conte shown a red card in the ensuing chaos.
A moment preceded by an unfortunate event.
Tottenham thought they had done it 😶#UCL pic.twitter.com/A7D49dtaX3
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 26, 2022
In a tight encounter, former Spurs youngster Marcus Edwards gave Sporting a deserved 22nd-minute lead with a fine low shot as they punished Conte’s side for a poor first-half display that brought loud jeers from the home fans.
Spurs were much improved after the break but they were grateful for a crucial save by keeper Hugo Lloris from Sporting substitute Flavio Nazinho, who also shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Denied by VAR!
Tottenham thought they’d won and secured qualification for the #UCL Last 16 but Kane’s added-time goal was chalked off 👀 pic.twitter.com/9gybuwJUVC
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 26, 2022
They took advantage of those two escapes as Rodrigo Bentancur rose to head home from a corner 10 minutes from time – and in a hectic finish, both sides had opportunities to win.
Kane thought he had snatched it with virtually the last kick – only for VAR to decide otherwise and they now head to Marseille knowing defeat will put them at risk of elimination.
