Conte's selection on the right
Facing a big selection decision given the magnitude of the game, Antonio Conte's starting XI said an awful lot about Tottenham's options down the right side. Previously always bringing Davinson Sanchez in when Cristian Romero has been absent, this time the Colombian remained on the bench after such a poor showing at Bournemouth last Saturday.
Unconvincing in his time on the pitch, the ex-Ajax man was all at sea for the Cherries' first of the afternoon as he raced across to help out his fellow Spurs defenders but left goalscorer Kieffer Moore in acres of space as a result. Replaced by Eric Dier on the hour mark, the England international impressed in his role on the right and caught the eye a number of times with some excellent runs forward and some testing balls for the Bournemouth backline.
Opting to start Dier in the position on the right rather than his usual role in the heart of defence, Conte also switched things up at right wing-back. Looking like Matt Doherty would come back into the side after dropping out at the weekend for Emerson Royal, the head coach instead opted for Ryan Sessegnon on the right instead of the opposite flank despite having Ivan Perisic, who has played there numerous times throughout his career.
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The pair did swap roles with five minutes to go in the first half after Marseille had targeted Spurs' right side time and time again. However, Sessegnon's time on the pitch came to an end at the break with Emerson called upon.
Levy's new experience
Sent off in the dying seconds of last Wednesday's Champions League draw against Sporting CP, Conte had to watch the game from a totally new position. Rather than taking his place in the technical area as usual and shouting instructions at his team, the 53-year-old was sat in the main stand at the Orange Velodrome.
He was, in fact, sitting in the directors' box, with the TV cameras panning to him in the early stages of the game. Conte was sat next to Tottenham performance director Gretar Steinsson, one row behind Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. As the head coach is extremely animated during games, as we've seen numerous times over the past year at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it would certainly have been a new experience for Levy, especially going on the team's first-half struggles.
Usually bouncing up and down everywhere when Spurs score, Conte was uncharacteristically very quiet when the team equalised through Clement Lenglet as he didn't move at all and just sat there with one hand on his chin as he watched on. Things were rather different after the late winner, though, as he celebrated like he was on the touchline and hugged Steinsson and those around him.
Despite his absence from the technical area, Cristian Stellini was doing his best to make up for the loss of Conte, as he could constantly be seen marching up and down and shouting instructions. There was even a booking for one of the backroom team midway through the second half after Rodrigo Bentancur fouled Marseille's, Jonathan Clauss.
Hojbjerg fumes
Already facing such a tough task with Marseille also fighting it out for a spot in the Champions League Round of 16, Tottenham were handed a major blow midway through the first half with Son Heung-min going off with a head injury. Going up for an aerial challenge with Chancel Mbemba, the South Korea was caught in the face and was unable to continue.
Struggling to walk off the pitch with one of the medical staff, Sanchez raced from the substitutes' bench to give Son some support as he headed down the tunnel. Not having a player ready to bring on as Son made way, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was not impressed at all and made his feelings clear towards the Tottenham bench.
Yves Bissouma was introduced about a minute later, thus seeing Spurs switch to a three-man midfield and go with Lucas Moura offering support to Harry Kane up front.
Game of two halves
Just why can't Tottenham perform at their best from the very first whistle in a game? Such a vital fixture in their European quest, it was a disastrous opening 45 minutes from the team that resulted in them going in 1-0 down at the break.
Spurs were quite simply their own worst enemy throughout the first period as they needlessly gave the ball away time and time again. It just bounced off the front three when they managed to get it upfield, with those behind them also guilty of wasting it in some dangerous positions.
No surprise to see them go behind following Mbemba's powerful header, Marseille did have some good openings in the first half and could have been ahead by more. Perhaps needing half-time for a breather and to regroup, Tottenham looked a totally different side after the break and threatened within the first couple of minutes.
Conte's men were top quality when it mattered most in the second half, and they thoroughly deserved to go through as group winners after managing to turn the game on its head. It's never straightforward in the world of Tottenham Hotspur.
Perisic's quality
Tottenham are always going to have a chance in games, thanks to the quality of Perisic. Extremely quiet last Wednesday against Sporting CP and on the verge of making way for Sessegnon, the veteran player had a huge say on the game with his outstanding delivery.
Teeing up chances for Doherty and Bryan Gil with a couple of cross-field balls, he then put in the corner that saw Bentancur restore parity with ten minutes remaining. The summer signing once again delivered at such a vital time on Saturday at Bournemouth with the corner that saw Ben Davies make it 2-2.
Needing to find a way back into the game at Marseille after an abysmal first half, a free-kick down Spurs' left flank, which was expertly won by Kane when he had a number of players around him and nowhere to go, gave Perisic the chance he had been waiting for.
His delivery was pinpoint as usual, and it allowed Lenglet to find the far corner with a lovely header, handing the Croatia international his seventh assist of the season in the process. It wasn't just in the final third where Perisic had an impact as he was on hand to produce a brilliant block which stopped Alexis Sanchez from finding the back of the net from close range.
It was that good and important that he even celebrated the crucial intervention.
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