Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli questioned his side’s mental strength after RB Leipzig on Tuesday cruised to a 3-0 win to progress 4-0 on aggregate to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.
Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer struck twice in the first 21 minutes, before substitute Emil Forsberg added the third late on with his first touch.
“We were second to a lot of balls. To concede them goals shows our mentality wasn’t strong enough,” Alli said. “We had to show maturity and fight, and we didn’t do that and we were punished.”
Photo: Reuters
Unlike many fixtures across Europe this week, there were no restrictions on supporters attending due to the spread of COVID-19 and the Leipzig fans were able to enjoy a nerve-free evening.
Spurs traveled to eastern Germany shorn of striking options without injured Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn.
However, it was at the other end that they buckled inside the opening quarter of the game, as two errors from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris turned a tough task into an impossible one.
Leipzig took just 10 minutes to open the scoring when Lloris did not get a strong enough right hand to stop Sabitzer’s long-range strike from finding the bottom corner.
Timo Werner then fired home from close range only to be denied by the offside flag as Leipzig opened up the Tottenham defense at will.
The visitors did not learn their lesson, as Sabitzer met Angelino’s cross with a powerful header, but Lloris should still have done better to keep the ball out at his near post.
Tottenham have now failed to win their past six games in all competitions — the longest winless streak of Jose Mourinho’s managerial career.
The Portuguese again blamed that run on his lack of options due to an injury list that also includes Moussa Sissoko, Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies.
“People can say excuses, but I’m pretty sure it is bad for anyone,” Mourinho said. “I don’t think anyone would resist to such a situation.”
Spurs produced a remarkable fightback from 3-0 down on aggregate away at Ajax in last season’s semi-finals to make the final for the first time in the club’s history thanks to Lucas Moura’s hat-trick.
However, in keeping with their collapse since that night in Amsterdam in May last year, Mourinho’s men lacked the quality and belief needed to reproduce that thrilling fightback.
Forsberg took just 32 seconds after replacing Sabitzer to fire the third goal into the far corner three minutes from time.
“It’s a great moment for the history of the club, for me as a manager and for my young team,” 32-year-old Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “It’s totally deserved we go to the next round. We were the better team, scored four goals, conceded none, so we are very happy.”
Tottenham’s season now hinges on refinding their domestic form if they are not to miss out on the Champions League next season for the first time in five years.
Spurs are eighth in the Premier League, seven points adrift of the top four, and in desperate need for Mourinho to exact revenge on Manchester United for his dismissal last season when the Red Devils visit north London on Sunday.
“We know this hasn’t been a good season, but we can’t hide,” Alli said. “Confidence is gone at the minute, but we have a big game at the weekend, and we have to pick ourselves up and go again.”
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