Tottenham 4-2 Olympiacos: First home win for Jose Mourinho as slow starters reach Champions League last 16

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Jack Rosser @JackRosser_26 November 2019

Jose Mourinho made an impression in his first home game as Tottenham boss, showing a ruthless streak to turn the tide against Olympiacos and guide his team into Champions League knockout stages.

With his new side two down inside 20 minutes, the two-time European Cup winner acted swiftly to hook Eric Dier for Christian Eriksen as Spurs completed a comeback thanks to goals from Dele Alli, Serge Aurier and a brace from captain Harry Kane.

Mourinho made just one change from the West Ham victory in his first game in charge, with Danny Rose replacing the injured Ben Davies, though the Portuguese was given a harsh reality check almost immediately.

The players spent the warm up working on keeping possession, along the back four and in tight spaces, but could hardly get a kick early on, Giorgos Masouras stinging the palms of Paulo Gazzaniga inside five minutes.

When Tottenham did get a touch it was often rushed, a weak clearance from Rose finding the feet of El Arabi who, under little pressure, side-stepped Harry Winks and picked his spot from 20 yards, tucking a fine left-footed effort under the outstretched Gazzaniga.

Spurs needed composure, Mourinho urged calm, but still they could not settle. Toby Alderweireld let slip Semedo from a corner, leaving the defender free to tap home after the inswinger.

Mourinho wasted no time in addressing the glaring issues, Dier sacrificed for Christian Eriksen, an olive branch to the Dane whose future still remains a priority for his new manager. After the game, Dele Alli said: "To be honest anyone could have come off in the first twenty minutes. I was awful in the first twenty."

Spurs looked a little more sure of themselves after the change, though confidence was still completely amiss and Mourinho was still calling for cool heads minutes before half time. The hosts needed something to go their way if they were to turn the tide and Yassine Meriah couldn’t have offered them up anything better as the clock ticked into injury time.

(Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

The defender, who conceded a penalty to Harry Kane in the reverse fixture, misjudged Serge Aurier’s cross, his air kick allowing the ball to roll straight to the feet of Alli who duly accepted the gift and tapped home, hope restored.

Tottenham were now halfway to doing what their visitors had done to them in Athens. They emerged from the break with far more purpose, a goal short of passage to the knockout stages. Davinson Sanchez found himself clear in front of goal and on the end of Eriksen’s free kick, but could only send the ball halfway up the towering South Stand behind the goal.

The youngster acted with a sharpness shown by few Tottenham players so far this season to fire the ball back to Aurier before Olympiacos had the chance to settle. The full-back sent Lucas Moura racing down the right and squaring for Kane to fire past goalkeeper Jose Sa with ease.

PA

A brief spell of pressure, which prompted the introduction of Moussa Sissoko, aside the visitors offered little in return, Spurs were back to enjoying themselves once more.

After a fairly quiet game bar his gift-wrapped goal, Alli sprung into life, twisting and turning his way down the left, before clipping across the penalty area, Son flicked the ball on and Aurier capped a fine performance with a rifled half-volley into the far corner.

With their place booked in the knockout stages, Eriksen offered a brief reminder of what he can offer with a wonderful looping cross from a deep free-kick, lapped up by Kane to nod home and wrap the evening up.

December will bring a relatively stress free trip to Munich as they round out the Champions League group stage meaning the European campaign can be parked for now while focus switches to battling their way back up the Premier League to ensure they are back here again next season.

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