Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Real Madrid: Player Ratings
Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid had virtually nothing separating them coming into tonight's game. Both teams had beaten their fellow group members APOEL Nicosia and Borussia Dortmund by the same margin (3-0 and 3-1 respectively), both lay third in their respective league tables with 20 points, having scored 19 goals, and both teams entered tonight's game on the back of defeats suffered over the weekend.
So, it would have been safe to assume that a close encounter would be on the cards, but Tottenham put paid to that notion with a scintillating display in front of their home crowd.
A brace from Dele Alli and a late goal from Christian Eriksen was enough to seal the deal, with Cristiano Ronaldo's goal proving to be nothing but a consolation. With the 3-1 win, Tottenham sealed their berth in the knockout rounds while Real Madrid's trip to APOEL now becomes a tricky one.
On that note, take a look at how the players fared at Wembley:
Tottenham
Hugo Lloris - 8/10
Lloris deserved a clean sheet for his performance on the night. He was steady between the sticks, commanding in set-piece situations and great at handling the ball. Three first-half saves - two off Cristiano Ronaldo and one off Benzema - ensured Spurs went into the break with a lead. He had no chance of preventing the goal which was scored from close range courtesy a deflected Ronaldo strike.
Toby Alderweireld - 5/10
Alderweireld's only contribution came in the form of a darting run into the Madrid box in the first half, one which led to him picking up a hamstring injury and subsequently being taken off the field as early as the 23rd minute.
Davinson Sanchez - 7/10
Tottenham's summer recruit had a fairly decent game at the centre of the defence. Sanchez came up with two important blocks on the night (the most by any player) and had four clearances and two interceptions to go with it. He was strong in the air and marked Ramos with relative ease during set pieces, more often than not.
Jan Vertonghen - 7.5/10
Vertonghen was a rock in defence, easily keeping the Madrid attacking trio at bay. Vertonghen managed four clearances and two vital interceptions on the night.
Kieran Trippier - 8/10
Trippier had one of his best games in a Tottenham shirt. Bombing down the right-hand flank, he was instrumental in most of Spurs' potent attacking play. He produced at least three dangerous crosses into the box in the first half itself, with one of them finding the monstrosity that was Dele Alli's bright orange boot, leading to the first goal.
With Marcelo deciding he didn't fancy defending in this game, Trippier had all the freedom of the right-hand side to himself and used it to great effect, combining well with Kane, Alli and Eriksen to muster great goalscoring opportunities for the home side. He could have had at least three assists on an other night.
Christian Eriksen - 8/10
Eriksen bossed the midfield on the night. Calm in possession, he provided many incisive balls to the likes of Kane and Alli and also spread the play beautifully, bringing Trippier and Davies into the action. He scored Spurs' third goal with a neat finish and his selfless running whilst not in possession caused the Madrid defence plenty of problems.
Harry Winks - 7/10
Winks is growing in stature with each game. While he did miss a rather easy chance to give Spurs the lead, opting for an audacious chip shot, he redeemed himself by releasing Trippier for the opening goal. His energy in the midfield was too much for the likes of Casemiro and Modric to handle and he often found himself in acres of space.
Eric Dier - 7.5/10
Dier too had one of his better games in a Spurs shirt. Forced to play as a defender following the injury of Alderweireld, Dier did a fantastic job of keeping Benzema quiet. One great interception - Benzema had attempted to square one to Ronaldo who was in acres of space in the middle - in the second half prevented Madrid from getting a foothold in the game. He also provided the assist for Alli's second goal.
Ben Davies - 7/10
Davies was a constant presence at both ends of the field with his tireless running. Taking advantage of Hakimi's relative inexperience, the left-back paraded down his flank, linking up well with Kane, Alli and Eriksen. Defensively, he was pretty darn good, contributing with three interceptions and eight clearances (joint-most on the night).
Dele Alli - 9/10
There was simply no stopping Dele Alli on the night as he was a class apart. Dominant in the midfield, Alli was a constant threat to the Madrid defence, linking brilliantly with Kane and Eriksen. He showed extreme desire to get on the end of Trippier's cross for the first goal and great skill for the second, leaving Casemiro on the floor in the process. The Englishman missed out on a hat-trick, failing to head home an absolute sitter, but that was the only negative in what was a simply breathtaking display.
Harry Kane - 8/10
Kane returned to the Spurs lineup after missing the United game due to injury and he was at it right from the get-go, pressing the Madrid defenders and causing a nuisance of himself. He had a couple of great chances, one in each half, to get on the scoresheet, but made a mess of things. The Englishman had the chance to give Spurs the lead early in the first half, but attempted to dink the keeper from a difficult angle. In the second half, he was rather unlucky to be denied a goal after his strike came off the hand of Sergio Ramos. Kane though provided an assist for Eriksen's goal to cap off a rather eventful outing.
Substitutes
Moussa Sissoko - 6/10
Sissoko replaced Alderweireld just before the half-hour mark and slotted into midfield with Dier being forced into defence. While Sissoko did not contribute directly to attacks, he still offered Spurs a lot with his energy.
Mousa Dembele - 3/10
Dembele replaced Winks just after the hour mark but had an absolute shocker. He was lucky to stay on the pitch until the final whistle, having been involved in a scuffle with Sergio Ramos. He also took a wild swing at the Madrid defender later in the game and was lucky to receive only a yellow card for his actions.
Fernando Llorente - NA
Llorente came on for Kane late in the game and did not have much time to make an impact.