Mauricio Pochettino was delighted with the way his Tottenham Hotspur side battled back to earn a draw against Juventus on Tuesday night, however, he felt his team had deserved to win the game by the final whistle.
Spurs found themselves 2-0 down inside the first ten minutes of the match from a quick-fire double by Gonzalo Higuain.
Harry Kane had a glorious opportunity to get one back midway through the half when he headed from point-blank range straight at Gianluigi Buffon before he eventually rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into an empty net.
Spurs were fortunate to not be further behind in the first half when they conceded a second penalty, however, Higuain missed by crashing the ball against the crossbar.
Pochettino’s team talk would certainly have been different should they have been 3-1 down, but he was pleased with what he saw from his side and was delighted when Christian Eriksen levelled the tie with a clever free-kick.
Speaking after the game, the manager praised the character of his players and was quick to congratulate them, although he had felt his team had done enough to leave Italy with a victory.
“Fantastic game,” he told BT Sport.
“We were sloppy and conceded two goals in nine minutes, but the character we showed was fantastic.
“I want to congratulate the players – 2-0 down in Turin to a team so difficult to break down. We deserved a victory more than a draw.”
Pochettino will be confident that his team will be more than ready to welcome Juventus to Wembley Stadium on March 7, having seen his side put in the type of performance they had then and against Arsenal last weekend.