
OH, POCH, you had us fooled.
Tottenham, no matter how their dreamy football is dressed up, are out of the Champions League.
They will soon be forgotten by Europeans elite, left behind after they were beaten at Wembley by those rascals Juventus.
Spurs tried to smash Juve out of the park, to put two, three or even four past one of the most decorated clubs in the competition.
For that, they paid dearly.
Juventus, masters at this level, dished out a brutal, ruthless lesson in the art of European football.
Tottenham and Juventus fans hold minute silence at Wembley for Davide AstoriIt was a drive-by.
Juve did not panic, even when Heung-Min Son had this place jumping when he beat Gianluigi Buffon from close range 39 minutes in.
Juventus, finalists in two of the last three seasons under their clever coach Massimiliano Allegri, kept their composure.
When Gonzalo Higuain scored Juves equaliser 64 minutes into this gripping tie, everybody wearing a Spurs shirt at Wembley knew what would happen next.
Three minutes later it came to pass, with Paulo Dybala rippling Hugo Lloris net with a pearler from the instep of his left boot.
After that, there would be no way back.
Even when Harry Kane hit the inside of Buffons post deep into stoppage time at the end of second half, Andrea Barzagli somehow booted the ball clear.
Within seconds those Juventus players were sprinting up the other end of the pitch to salute thousands of travelling fans.
Tottenham players, sinking to their knees in despair, could only look on as those yellow shirts started jumping up and down.
Pochettino side blew this, strangled by Juventus when these Italians started showing a little bit more adventure after the break.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny taunts the Tottenham supporters at Wembley after their Champions League exit this eveningThe biggest clubs, the Real Madrids, the Barcelonas, the Juves of this world, have the ability to pull these ties out of the bag.
Juve soaked it all up, allowing Tottenham and their frenzied fans in to get all excitable with their spirited first half lead.
Then they come for you.
Tottenham were done all ends up by the craft, the expertise, the chicanery of one of European footballs most successful sides.
They are out in the second round, a second tier team exiting the Champions League alongside Basle, Porto and Paris Saint Germain.
To watch Juve defend after Dybalas strike was to watch a masterclass.
Giorgio Chellini and Medhi Benatia, these two wise, wily old heads at the heart of Juves defence, were unshakeable back there.
Buffon, beaten by Sons first half strike, could not be beaten again.
He conceded 39 minutes in, with Son steering Kieran Trippiers cross beyond the Italian great with a shinner.
Son deserved it, monstering Barzagli every time he sprinted down the left in that first half.
They had stayed true to their attacking principles, just as Poch promised when he urged his players to leave this place as heroes.
Tottenham attacked, attacked, and attacked again.
Son was the destroyer, an outlet on the wing whenever Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Kane could find him.
He has scored 14 of his 16 goals in Spurs shirt at Wembley and this one felt like it would be the most important of the lot.
It was shaping up to be Sons night, with Barzagli lucky to escape without a booking when he twice stamped on the Spurs winger.
By then Spurs had escaped a streaky first half moment, with Juve correctly demanding a penalty when Jan Vertonghen took out Douglas Costa 17 minutes in.
It was dot on the card stuff, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak lost his bottle. Poor, that.
So did the sixth official, standing still when it was screaming out for him to tip Marciniak the wink.
The eyeballs were popping out of the sockets of Juves players, surrounding the official and demanding some answers.
He did not have them.
Neither did Spurs when Gonzalo Higuain scored after 64 minutes, beating Hugo Lloris after Sami Khedira touched on Stephan Lichtsteiners cross from the right.
Spurs, wondering whether they should stick or twist, were not given time to work it all out. Juve scored again.
Dybala got it, with this clever little so-and-so racing through on goal when Ben Davies failed to move up in time to catch him offside.
Higuain played him in, given far too much time to turn before Dybala ran through to lift his effort skilfully beyond Lloris.
Tottenham chucked players forward, throwing bodies into the box in an attempt to unsettle this Juve defence.
They had put three past them over two legs and one more would have taken this into extra-time.
It very nearly did, with Kane hitting the inside of the post when he met a cross from Davies in injury time.
With Buffon beaten, Barzagli punted it clear.
Pochettino urged his players forward, but Tottenham were almost out of time.
Seconds later, they were out of the Champions League.
Astonishing scenes at Wembley as organisers look for pro referee to take over in Tottenham vs Huddersfield game
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