Champions League 2022-23, Tottenham progress to knockouts: Key stats
Tottenham fought valiantly against Marseille in the second half on matchday six to progress to the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 round of 16. Group D had all four sides in the fray for progression and after taking several twists and turns throughout the two matches on matchday 6, Spurs and Eintracht Frankfurt gained qualification. Here we present the key stats.
Why does this story matter?
Spurs were one goal down at the break and in the other game, Sporting were leading Frankfurt. By the look if things, Spurs were heading down to the Europa League. However, a clutch display in the second half saw Spurs not only fight back but also win the group. Frankfurt also scored two second-half goals to overcome Sporting, who will now play Europa League.
How did Group D pan out?
Group D saw Spurs top the proceedings with 11 points from six games (W3 D2 L1). Frankfurt, who won the 2021-22 Europa League trophy, have made it through, finishing 2nd with 10 points (W3 D1 L2). Sporting have been demoted to the Europa League, finishing 3rd with seven points (W2 D1 L3). Marseille are knocked out from European competitions altogether (6 points).
Spurs leave it late versus Marseille
Spurs needed one point to qualify for the knockout stages and going a goal down meant they dropped to third in the group. However, Clement Lenglet equalized early in the second half. Marseille pushed for the winner as Spurs held fort, but the hosts were caught on the break and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sealed victory in the 95th minute.
Contrasting records for Spurs
As per Opta, Tottenham have now qualified for the knockout rounds in five out of six UCL campaigns (2010-11, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23). In the first half, Spurs failed to produce a single touch in Marseille's penalty area. It's just the third occasion in the UCL this season of a team not managing a touch in the opposition's box in the entire first half.
