For so long, it looked like the big comeback after a two-season absence would be solid, even when Marseille were reduced to ten men in the 47th minute after Chancel Beba’s last-man foul on Son Heung-min. It was a terrible misjudgment by the former Newcastle centre-half. Spurs were predictable, with a rhythm and struggled to create anything clear. That was until the 76th minute when Richarlison stepped up to punch in and ensure the home crowd could think all was well when it ended like that. The £50m summer signing from Everton had previously failed to find the back of the net for Spurs but changed all that with a devastating one-two punch, a pair of headers marked by great power. Marseille had held their form even after the red card, keeping Spurs largely at arm’s length, but when Ivan Perisic produced a cross from the left and Richarlison began to drift, they faded. The failure was decisive. Pau Lopez, the former Spurs goalkeeper, was exposed and struck by the sheer force of Richarlison’s connection. The second was even more devastating, Richarlison picking up Samuel Guigo to crash home from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s cross after Marseille had half-cleared a corner to the far side. There would be angry exchanges in the stands after the full-time whistle, Marseille fans clashing with police, who had arrived to keep them away from their Spurs counterparts. Objects were thrown and a Pride flag appeared to be torn down. On the field, however, Spurs had what they wanted. Tottenham’s previous Champions League tie was a 16-16 second-leg defeat at RB Leipzig in March 2020. It was a disappointing night, with Jose Mourinho’s side always feeling destined for relegation and there was strong opposition in the pre- Race optimism here, the wave of noise and energy at kick-off time. And yet the first half would end with a barrage of boos from the Spurs support. They were unhappy because it was cloudy fare. Spurs wanted to pinch possession and transition but, with Marseille dictating the pace and closing down spaces, they couldn’t do it. Antonio Conte’s side struggled to apply pressure on the ball and it was good for them that Hugo Lloris came down to beat Matteo Guendouzi in the 45th minute. Richarlison heads home his second goal of the game. Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Gueduzi, the former Arsenal midfielder, heard predictable jeers, as did Nuno Tavares, who is on loan from Spurs’ north London rivals. Marseille have 12 players with previous or current links to Premier League clubs and 11 of them were in the matchday squad. The odd man out? The suspended Alexis Sánchez, also formerly of Arsenal. Marseille were good in the first half, especially in the duels between the two teams. Gueduzi was prominent, their passing rhythms smooth. Harry Kane dropped deep to tie Spurs’ game but it was impossible for his side. Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Kane swung in from the right in the 34th minute and saw Tavares block and, moments later, had a slightly clearer opening. Fed in by Son on the right side of the area, he came up against Eric Bailly. Kane took the shot early and dragged it wide of the far post. Conte sent his men off minutes before Marseille’s for the second half – always saying he wasn’t good enough – and saw the complexion of the match change with the sending off. Kane headed Sean into space and, having given Bemba a lead, the Spurs forward devoured the ground. Mbemba was wrong-footed, the tackle was also wrong, and when Sean went down, the referee, Slavko Vincic, had only one decision to make. Igor Tudor kept the full-back system for Marseille, pulled Gueduzi back into a midfield three and asked Spurs to break his team apart. Conte introduced Dejan Kulusevski at right wing-back, looking for more punch, and the Swede dazzled, getting behind the Marseille defense and then seeing a shot deflected wide. Sead Kolasinac, another former Arsenal player who came on as a substitute, almost ran out his replacement Amine Harit on 75 minutes before Richarlison took Spurs home. Ben Davies, another substitute, would keep the clean sheet, making an excellent block with the last act of the game. “When we signed Richarlison, he said he was looking forward to playing in the Champions League and listening to the music,” Conte said. “They were important words and this morning I reminded him of them. I told him: “Tonight is your chance, enjoy this moment and try to do your best.” That’s what he did.”
