Mauricio Pochettino: Spurs manager
Mauricio Pochettino: Spurs manager

Tottenham 2-1 PSV: Pochettino hoping Spurs can take Champions League qualification right down to the final game


Mauricio Pochettino is confident Tottenham can take their unlikely Champions League turnaround down to the final group game after their late victory over PSV kept their slim hopes of qualification alive.

Spurs were on the brink of going out as their faltering Group B campaign looked like hitting a new low after Luuk de Jong put the Dutch side ahead after only 62 seconds at Wembley.

But captain Harry Kane scored two goals in the final 12 minutes to earn a 2-1 win and leave it all to play for going into the final two group games - with Spurs now 11/4 to make it through to the knockout stages.

Inter Milan, who are three points ahead of Spurs after drawing with Barcelona, come to Wembley in three weeks and Pochettino believes they can get the win which would force a final-game decider at the Nou Camp in December.

"Two games to play, if we are capable of beating Inter Milan we are going to be with them on seven points with one game to play," said Pochettino.

"In one game anything can happen. We will see if Barcelona have qualified for the next stage and we are going to go to Barcelona trying to win the game.

"The belief is still there, you know me, I am so optimistic.

"Now is to be focused on Saturday but talking about Champions League is about being focused on Inter Milan.

"I think we were so close to winning the game and deserved more in Milan (a 2-1 defeat), we played better than them.

"I think we can beat them and I am so optimistic. If we are capable of beating them, the percentage to be in the next stage will be high."

PSV unhappy with Wembley pitch

PSV defended doggedly for much of the match on a Wembley pitch damaged by recent NFL matches.

However, defeat for the visitors ended their chances of progressing from the group.

PSV manager Mark van Bommel was proud of the effort from his players and refused to blame the surface for the loss.

"It's s***," Van Bommel said of the pitch.

"You know what I mean, it's bad. In Holland, we say s*** a little bit quicker than in English.

"It's not good but we're not complaining. We knew it before, we were training and I told the guys after one minute of complaining you have to stop and go on with training and then get used to the pitch."

Our best bets for Wednesday's Champions League action
Our best bets for Wednesday's Champions League action

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