Olympiakos 2-2 Tottenham: No signs of Spurs taking next step – Matthew Upson
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From Matthew Upson
BBC Radio 5 live at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium
I was searching that Tottenham have improved as a group since reaching last season’s Champions League final, but I didn’t actually find any.
Spurs will be thrilled to acquire a point in an abysmal 2-2 draw however, it was not the kind of performance that is written their manager Mauricio Pochettino will have desired to watch though they prevented defeat.
Their remarkable run in this contest last year relied on drama and objectives, right from the start when they pulled themselves out after it seemed like they’d be going out from the group stage.
It turned out to be a brilliant accomplishment, but it’s definitely better to prevent being in the first place and they did not really manage this here.
Yesthis is a catchy way to allow them to begin at Group B, with an Olympiakos facet that has been dangerous and full, a hostile home crowd, and the warmth in Piraeus.
However, the top Champions League teams can bargain with that type of situation by maintaining ownership and playing their own pace, to take the sting from their resistance and silence the crowd.
For various reasons, Spurs never did any of this well enough on Wednesday.
I believe that the absence of control they’d right is since having that’s the step he knows they have to take if they’re going to have sustained achievement in Europe, what Pochettino would be disappointed about.
While me impressed personally, Tottenham made life difficult for themselves.
It was disappointing to realize they had been in the opening minutes, if there were just two or three occasions at which they gave the ball away cheaply.
But even when they lacked urgency and appeared lethargic, Spurs reminded us that they’ve lots of quality in their aspect.
when they got an opportunity, they were able to take it, one reason they ended up becoming much in the Champions League last season was.
It was the same against Olympiakos, also the exceptional finishing of Tottenham was the sole difference between the two teams.
Their opening goal came from a penalty but Harry Kane’s spot-kick was still delightful, and the strike of Lucas Moura a few minutes after was world class.
In 2-0 up after 30 minutes, Spurs had completed the hard part but they still could not find a way to prevent Olympiakos from applying pressure.
They could have done that by simply keeping hold of the ball , but it only felt like Tottenham players were under their levels and, when that occurs, you aren’t going to have the team performance .
Pochettino made five changes in last weekend’s win also there were several players at the Spurs team that have not had a lot of minutes this year. It revealed.
Tanguy Ndombele, ben Davies and Dele Alli all struggled to impose themselves in the game, Davinson Sanchez did not click at right-back, and it’s uncommon to visit Christian Eriksen give the ball.
I am not sure that has been down to personal fatigue. It had been more of a mental sharpness which Spurs lacked, which resulted in mistakes being made.
It might have been worse – typically, like they did in this way in the Champions League if you play, you wind up being defeated.
After they took Mathieu Valbuena off 20 minutes to go, because he was their principal danger man olympiakos kind of let them off the hook. Without him, they didn’t carry the exact identical threat.
The absolute most significant thing for Spurs was that they did not shed.
As impressive as Olympiakos had been, following this particular result I would back Spurs to finish them above and Red Star Belgrade in Group B and make it through to the past 16.
Red Star beat last season to Liverpool in Serbia, also a evaluation will be there in November offered by Tottenham’s trip, similar in several strategies to this one they faced in Greece.
But I am anticipating Spurs’ residence form to see them through, and I also think they can improve as the season goes on.
They are still developing momentum and locating as Pochettino said ahead of the Olympiakos game – we all know that they can play better than that.
Matthew Upson spoke to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.
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