Juventus scored twice in the space of three second-half minutes to overcome Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night.
A well-deserved opener for Son Heung-min was cancelled out by Gonzalo Higuain and then added to by Paulo Dybala to earn the Italians a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Spurs had been dominant for the opening hour on home soil and even hit the post when chasing a goal late on, but in the end they could not overcome the 2015 and 2017 finalists.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus at Wembley Stadium. Spurs are seen as slight favourites to advance through to the quarter-finals for just the second time in their history after hitting back with two crucial away goals in last month's 2-2 draw in Turin - a fixture that provided plenty of entertainment.
Fingers crossed for similar drama tonight under the arch, with extra time and penalties in store should they be required. As things stand Spurs will progress through by virtue of those away goals, provided by Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen at the Allianz Stadium, so the onus is on the visitors to grab a goal this evening. On that basis, only an identical scoreline to three weeks ago will see us go the distance.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Dele, Son; Kane
SUBS: Vorm, Rose, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lamela, Lucas, Llorente
No real surprises in the Tottenham starting lineup, as Mauricio Pochettino has made just the one enforced change from Saturday's convincing 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town here. Serge Aurier misses out due to an automatic one-game ban, meaning a place for Kieran Trippier at right-back. Other than that it is as you were, meaning that Ben Davies is used on the opposite side and central defence is comprised of Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez.
In terms of his back five this evening, the selection was pretty straightforward for Pochettino, though Danny Rose - only among the subs tonight - will certainly argue otherwise. Further forward there were some big calls to make, particularly in attacking midfield, where Son Heung-min has been given the nod over the likes of Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela after netting another couple of goals at the weekend.
The midfield and attack is as you were from that last outing, then, with Harry Kane once again asked to lead the line. The England international saw his five-match scoring run come to an end against Huddersfield, but even still he has a record of 11 goals in his last 11 outings - a goal-a-game average that he is somehow managing to sustain. Eriksen and Dele Alli will supply the ammunition, along with the aforementioned Son, as Spurs attempt to progress through to the last eight.
JUVENTUS TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Buffon; Barzagli, Benatia, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi; Dybala, Higuain, Douglas Costa
SUBS: Szczesny, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Asamoah, Marchisio, Sturaro, Bentancur
We already knew that Mario Mandzukic would play no part for Juve tonight, having been left behind in Turin because of an injury issue, but Massimiliano Allegri would not give too much away regarding whether Gonzalo Higuain would be used from the off. To answer that question - yes, the Argentina international, who has been struggling with an ankle problem, is deemed fit enough to start at Wembley Stadium in a 4-3-3 lineup.
It is a forward line oozing quality, in fact, as Paulo Dybala - who has himself struggled with injuries of late - and Douglas Costa are also included in the starting XI. Allegri did hint that he would use all three players tonight, meaning the sacrifice of a player further back to accommodate three attackers. Crucially for the Bianconeri, Blaise Matuidi, badly missed in the first leg, is also included after recovering from a layoff.
There is no Juan Cuadrado, Federico Bernardeschi or Mattia De Sciglio for the visitors tonight due to injury, however, with Andrea Barzagli being brought in to replace the latter at right-back. The beauty of this Juve side is that it can easily switch to a back three, utilising the qualities of Douglas Costa and Alex Sandro down either flank, so Pochettino will have to be alert and react if his side cede too much possession.
Mauricio Pochettino makes just one change to his starting lineup, bringing in Kieran Trippier for the suspended Serge Aurier at right-back. The other big call to make was further forward, where Son Heung-min is given the nod over Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura. In terms of the visitors, Douglas Costa, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala are all included in the starting lineup.
A huge night in store for Tottenham, then, as they aim to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League and prove that they potentially have what it takes to go all the way. Should they indeed progress through tonight, even by virtue of a goalless draw, they quite simply have to be considered realistic candidates to lift the famous trophy, having also taken four points off Real Madrid in the group stage.
Tottenham, competing in the last-16 stage for just the second time, may not have the same type of experience as Juventus - winners in 1996 and finalists in two of the last three seasons - but they sent out a serious message with the 2-2 draw in Italy last month. The opening nine minutes aside, when starting slowly and allowing Juve to race into a two-goal lead, the Lilywhites showed real class to take control of proceedings and come away with a small advantage.
English teams are not known for controlling matches in the manner Spurs did a few weeks back - at least not before this season - and the Lilywhites now have a real springboard to push on over these next 90 minutes. It is also worth repeating that Pochettino's men finished top of an extremely tough section that contained back-to-back champions Real Madrid and fellow powerhouses Borussia Dortmund. Not only did they progress through, they picked up a hugely impressive 16 points.
Sixteen points was actually more than any other team managed to accrue in all the other groups, so Pochettino could be forgiven if he let out a huge sigh when his team were paired with Juventus in the last 16. Still, as the Spurs boss himself admitted in December, you have to beat the big teams if you want to go all the way, and the Londoners certainly have no aspirations of giving up at this stage.
Spurs won all three of their group games at Wembley, which is now fast turning into a fortress as they are unbeaten in 15 matches here in all competitions since losing to West Ham United in the EFL Cup five months ago, winning all but two of those. They have won seven on the bounce under the famous arch, in fact, keeping out the opposition in eight of their last 12 - that, in the grand scheme of things, is crucial when considering that a goalless draw will send them through tonight.
The Wembley hoodoo claims have well and truly been put to bed, and the Lilywhites are not doing too badly on their travels, either. They are now unbeaten in 17 matches overall and have lost just one of their last 22 - a 4-1 reverse at the hands of Manchester City prior to Christmas - so it is fair to say that they have momentum on their side. It has left them in a strong position in the Premier League, sitting five points better off than fourth-placed Chelsea with two months to go.
More importantly in the eye of Pochettino, though, Manchester United are only four points better off, so he will be looking to match last season's runners-up finish. There is also an FA Cup quarter-final tie away at Swansea City to come later this month which, should they successfully navigate, will set up a 'home' semi-final at this ground. Pochettino may have prioritised the Premier League and Champions League, yet the FA Cup does still remain the Lilywhites' best chance of ending their decade-long wait for silverware.
DID YOU KNOW? Tottenham Hotspur have won all six European knockout ties in which they have drawn the away first leg, most recently in 2016 when overcoming Fiorentina 4-1 on aggregate, though they have never previously played out a four-goal draw before - they usually tend to be low scoring. Spurs have won four of their five two-legged ties against Italian opposition, meanwhile - the sole defeat coming to Fiorentina in 2014-15.
That two-legged defeat to Fiorentina in the 2014-15 season was in the last 16 of the Europa League, but they would make up for that the following campaign by progressing through against the same opposition. A decent enough past record for the English club, then, though a word of caution for this evening, as they look to protect what is technically a lead. Nine of the 24 goals they have shipped in the top flight this term have come in the final 15 minutes of matches.
Tottenham have shaken off their so-called Wembley hoodoo by winning seven on the spin here and going unbeaten since the end of October. Eight of the last 12 teams to visit this ground have failed to score, meanwhile, and if they can replicate that tonight then it will be they, not their more established opponents, who will be in the hat for the last eight.
Juventus may have been held to a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture but they do have some momentum on their side. It has been a positive week for the Bianconeri, who snatched a late 1-0 win at Lazio on the weekend through Paulo Dybala, on the same weekend that Napoli slipped up for the first time in a while. That leaves the Old Lady one point off the summit with a game in hand to play, giving them the advantage as they chase down a seventh successive Serie a title.
There is still plenty of work for Allegri's men to do, though, and unlike in previous campaigns the man in charge cannot heavily rotate ahead of European fixtures. Udinese and Atalanta BC visit the Allianz Stadium over the next seven days, with six points from six the target from those, though either way Napoli will not give up in an attempt to end the Bianconeri's dominance. With two months to go, Juve can still win a domestic and European treble.
Juve are desperate to go one better than in 2015 and 2017 when losing to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively in the final, and they certainly have proven quality right throughout their ranks. From the hugely experienced Gianluigi Buffon, who looks likely to bow out at the end of the campaign unless he performs a U-turn, through to Higuain, Dybala and Douglas Costa up top - not to mention those in the middle of the park - Juve are one of the best assembled sides on the continent.
Their defence arguably played the biggest part in last season's run to the final, and their stats are equally as impressive in all competitions this term - just one goal shipped in 19 matches either side of that Spurs draw. That said, a clean sheet will not necessarily send them through tonight; they need their talented forward players, namely Argentina international duo Dybala and Higuain, to step up to the plate.
Allegri's men finished second to Barcelona in the group stage, but they still managed to collect 11 points from 18 after losing their opener 3-0 to the Catalan giants. They also have a positive record in the first knockout round, winning five of eight matches, including a 3-0 aggregate win over Porto 12 months ago. Meanwhile, the goalless draw at Barcelona in the knockout rounds was the only time they failed to win in six away games in last year's competition.
They scored 12 goals in those six away games and, here it is again, conceded just five in that run. Keeping out the opposition is usually second nature to Juve, even after losing Leonardo Bonucci last summer, so for Spurs to go to the Allianz Stadium and net twice took quite some doing. Furthermore, the Old Lady are on a seven-match unbeaten run against English opposition on the continent.
Juventus had won three in a row against Premier League clubs prior to the 2-2 draw with Spurs in Turin. They have lost their last five two-legged affairs against teams from this country, though, most recently Fulham in the 2009-10 Europa League. The Bianconeri are a different beast now compared to eight years ago, of course, when still trying to find their feet following their return to the Italian top flight.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! The reverse fixture was the first meeting between these two clubs in competition competitions and certainly provided plenty of entertainment. Goals from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen helped to maintain Tottenham Hotspur's positive record against Italian clubs, which has seen them lose just four of 16 overall. At home, meanwhile, it is seven without defeat.
With kickoff in the English capital now just a couple of minutes away, and the two teams making their way on to the field of play, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Mauricio Pochettino: "In Europe, the people start to respect more of Tottenham, they respect our football, our philosophy. We try to develop good football, the football that we love and we feel we have the respect - the brand of football we show, they respect us. We need to fight with these big sides [who are] on another level but trying to be competitive with different tools. I know one day to win one title will be fantastic for everyone and means a lot because if we are going to take a trophy in this way, it will be completely different to the others [teams], and of course the players will be heroes."
Massimiliano Allegri: "I don't know how Tottenham will play, but considering the first leg result, there's more pressure on them because they are the favourites. It's like a final for us and looking back at the first leg, we made a lot of mistakes to gift them chances, so we have to play better technically and take the ball off them, stop them passing it around. It won't so much be a tactical issue as a technical one, of passing it cleanly and keeping the ball. We have to stay in the game, make few errors and take our chances when they present themselves. We have to keep possession better and it won't be easy."
KICKOFF! Following a minute's silence for late Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, who tragically passed away at the weekend, we are now officially up and running at Wembley Stadium. What a night of drama we should have ahead of us!
Positive start made by Spurs, feeding off what is an electric atmosphere inside Wembley Stadium. Trippier is caught in possession, though, and Juve have a chance to put a counter together, which comes to very little on this occasion.
SAVE! Son, with four goals in his last two Wembley outings, works a hard of space and belts the ball goalwards from an angle. Buffon taking no risks and simply parries the ball away, getting a tad lucky that nobody in white could pounce.
Allegri fuming on the touchline as a long ball goes right over the top of the Spurs backline and straight out of play. Spurs certainly started the better of the two sides, showing no signs of nerves in what is a truly massive game.
Poor from Lloris, who hits the ball out of play when under a bit of pressure. Juve given a rare chance to get bodies forward but, yet again, they do not really manage to do a lot with possession. Costa's cross for Higuain overhit.
The ball drops in the box but Kane cannot swing at it. Spurs certainly not just going to sit back and hold out for a goalless draw tonight, once again taking control of things. Dybala and Higuain barely had a touch of the ball.
Still not quite happening for the visitors at the moment. Khedira has just had a couple of seconds on the ball, which is exactly what they wanted, but Pjanic could not get past his man. Up the other end, Matuidi recovers to take the ball off Kane in the box.
Brilliant pressing from Spurs, refusing to let Juve get the ball out of their own final third. Spurs wanted a pen after Chiellini slid in to tackle Kane, with the ball rolling over his arm on the floor, but there was not enough in it.
CHANCE! Big chance for Kane, who so often buries these. Alli slotted his compatriot in behind Chiellini and, after knocking the ball past Buffon, he had a little gap to aim for at the front post. The angle against him, Kane could only pick out the side-netting.
PENALTY APPEAL! Huge, huge call from the referee. Vertonghen gets none of the ball and all of Douglas Costa, yet somehow gets away with it. Juve's players are absolutely furious with the Polish official - rightly so.
Spurs so comfortable for 20 minutes but they have survived a scare there - Juve should have had a penalty, and you would have fancied Higuain to tuck it away. Eriksen with a shot with the outside of his boot, which a Juve head cleared.
SAVE! Gianluigi Buffon not looking very composed at all in the opening quarter of this match. Son with a back-post header, which was right down the middle for the Italian veteran to collect, but he instead punched it clear.
SHOT! Son is causing all sorts of problems for the Juve backline, once again getting right at them and firing in a shout for Chiellini to dive in front of and block away. Pochettino will be the happier of the two managers.
A replay has been shown of that penalty call and, rather strangely, the referee appeared to have the whistle in his mouth ready to blow before taking it away again. Vertonghen was consigned to the decision going against him; somehow he got away with it.
YELLOW CARD! A gripping opening half an hour to this second leg tie at Wembley Stadium. Spurs have pretty much dominated from the off, though Juve should have had a penalty a quarter of the way through. Vertonghen booked for going through Dybala.
SAVE! Juve look to get the ball forward to Higuain, but the offside flag was quickly up. Seen so very little of the Italians in an attacking sense this evening. Benatia only half-clears the ball and Alli's volley is easily captured by Buffon down low.
Kane controls Eriksen's pass superbly with one foot and looked to curl it into the far post with his other, but the ball just did not dip in time. Spurs full of confidence and arguably deserving of a goal on the basis of the opening 33 minutes.
YELLOW CARD! Slightly harsh on Alex Sandro, in truth, as he catches Kieran Trippier and is shown the game's second yellow card. Juve, like Spurs, looking to push their opponents high up the field whenever they get the chance to.
Juve starting to get their foot on the ball a little more over the last couple of minutes. The visitors, requiring a goal to remain alive in the competition, won a free kick which was swung into the area but cleared away.
GOAL! TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-0 JUVENTUS (SON HEUNG-MIN)
Spurs take a 3-2 lead in the tie through Son Heung-min, who has caused problems galore for the visitors tonight. Moments after failing to convert from a one-on-one, the South Korean found a way through from close range after Trippier squared the ball into his path. A scuffed finish, with the ball seemingly hitting both of his feet before spinning past Chiellini and Buffon.
SHOT! Pjanic blasts the ball wide from right on the edge of the boxing from a standing position. That was pretty much the visitors' first attempt of the evening - they have been pretty poor in truth, though it does have to be remembered that they should have had a penalty.
YELLOW CARD! Alex Sandro heads the ball high and wide at the back post under pressure from Davinson Sanchez, when he should have been doing a lot better. Pjanic the latest to be booked for his challenge on Alli in midfield.
Chiellini carries the ball forward and plays it out wide, but once the ball arrived in the middle the offside flag went up. Juve ending the first half as they should have started it; the goal has seemingly sparked them into life.
HALF TIME: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-0 JUVENTUS
The referee blows his whistle for half time, ensuring that Tottenham Hotspur are on their way to a place in the last eight of the Champions League. Son Heung-min has been very influential throughout, and it is the South Korean attacker who has given his side a slender advantage on the night and a 3-2 lead on aggregate.
Picking up from where they left off in Turin a few weeks back, Spurs looked comfortable on the ball and enjoyed the better of the first half chances. Son Heung-min offered a sign of what was to come a little later with just a few minutes on the clock, getting past his man and belting the ball on target for Gianluigi Buffon to parry it away.
A big chance then came and went for Harry Kane, who did the hard work by knocking Dele Alli's through-ball past Buffon, but could not slide it into the small empty gap at the near post. Juve, unbeaten in seven matches against English opposition prior to tonight, rarely got the ball forward in the first half, though once they did they should have been rewarded with a penalty. Jan Vertonghen went to ground when attempting to take the ball from Douglas Costa, only succeeding in wiping out his opponent, yet the Polish officials saw it a different way and did not point to the spot.
Spurs used that scare to make their dominance at the other end of the field count, with star man Son testing Buffon for a second time and then having another shot blocked in front of goal by Giorgio Chiellini. Then, after Dele Alli had a volley from a half-cleared cross saved down the middle, two more chances would fall the way of Son. The South Korean dragged the first one wide from a decent position, but he soon made amends by sending a miscued shot spinning past Chiellini and Buffon after some good work from Kieran Trippier to square it into his path.
That was just the third goal Juve have conceded in their last 20 matches, each of them coming against Spurs, and they could only muster a tame response in the remainder of the opening 45 minutes. Miralem Pjanic blasted wide from a standing position 18 yards out and Alex Sandro nodded over the bar when picked out from a deep cross at the back post. A lively first half, then, and still plenty left to play for.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Rose, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lamela, Lucas, Llorente
JUVENTUS SUBS: Szczesny, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Asamoah, Marchisio, Sturaro, Bentancur
RESTART! We are back under way at Wembley Stadium, where neither manager has made any changes at the break. Juventus's players went straight to the referee as the made their way back down the tunnel, no doubt letting him no he made a bad call in the first half.
Costa concedes a free kick on the edge of the box early in the second half. The angle was against Eriksen, so he went short, but the ball was headed clear before the clipped cross arrived at its intended target. Spurs picking up from where they left off.
YELLOW CARD! Juventus, usually so calm and collected, are looking rattled. Douglas Costa clattered into Dele Alli early in the second half and Benatia has just caught the midfielder's thigh, earning himself a caution.
Spurs turn over possession 40 yards from goal and it falls nicely for Dele to hit. Hit it he did, but the shot was rather scuffed and ended well wide of the target. Juve taking a few risks now, knowing they need a goal one way or another.
YELLOW CARD! A fourth yellow card of the evening for Juventus, with Chiellini the latest to take out Dele Alli. Cynical more than anything, as Dele would have slotted through Kane alongside him had he knocked the ball past the centre-back.
For the first time tonight Higuain and Dybala link up, with the latter being played in around the back by his teammate, but the offside flag came to Tottenham's rescue. Juve certainly showing more attacking intent now, which is opening gaps at the other end.
YELLOW CARD! Third yellow card in the second half already, with Alli again in the thick of it. The Englishman this time at fault, as his foot is a little high and he is shown a yellow card. At a pivotal point in the game now.
Son with a curler from the left-hand side of the box, which he gets a little wrong on this occasion as it flew wide of the target. Fifteen stop-start minutes of the second half have now passed; Juve giving away free kick after free kick at the moment.
JUVENTUS SUB! No surprise to see Allegri change things around, bringing on Asamoah and Lichsteiner for Matuidi and Benatia for the remaining half an hour. That will mean a change of formation, with Barzagli slotting in alongside Chiellini.
GOAL! TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-1 JUVENTUS (GONZALO HIGUAIN)
Juve's all-out approach has paid off as, moments after Dybala sent a shot spinning wide of a half-empty net, Higuain stuck out his boot to turn Khedira's header past Lloris. A fine finish from the striker, changing the complexion of the tie.
What a finale we have on our hands now at Wembley Stadium. A reminder that as things stand, by virtue of a couple of away goals, Tottenham will still be going through to the last eight of the competition. Plenty of time for that to change!
GOAL! TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-2 JUVENTUS (PAULO DYBALA)
WOW! From absolutely nowhere, Juventus have gone from being completely rattled to now being on the brink of the quarter-finals. Higuain slotted Dybala clean through on goal, and the young forward kept his composure to fire past Lloris - his first European goal this term.
Never underestimate the power of a goal - Tottenham were so comfortable at 1-0 up; now they it is they who are rattled and in need of a goal. Credit to Allegri, as less than 10 minutes after making a tactical switch his side have netted twice.
So what does Pochettino do now? Bring on a striker? Another midfielder to wrest back control? The Spurs boss has yet to turn to his bench, so expect one or two changes to be forthcoming in the next few minutes. Incredibly tense at Wembley!
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! Erik Lamela is the first player to be introduced, taking over from Eric Dier as Pochettino rolls the dice. Spurs now in control of possession but looking a little more rushed when in the final third.
One Spurs goal now will take us to extra time and potentially penalties. Great play from Lamela to get away from Asamoah, but the final delivery was lacking and Juve were able to clear it away. Still, this is a good spell of pressure from the hosts.
Chiellini celebrates with Buffon like he has just scored in a World Cup final. A superb block from the centre-back to deny what would have been a simple tap-in for Kane, after Son sent a volleyed cross into the middle. Backs-to-the-wall stuff now.
Spurs had been unable to get the ball into dangerous positions for a couple of minutes, but then all of a sudden it fell to Eriksen 12 yards out. The Dane wrapped his boot around it but could not find the target - still Juve lead by four goals to three.
JUVENTUS SUB! Allegri happy to settle with what he has - rightly so - and therefore brings on Stefano Sturaro for Higuain. Even if we do go to extra time, the tired striker would have been unable to continue anyway.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! Buffon gets a telling off for running across to the linesman after the flag remained down, despite a Spurs player looking offside. Former Juve striker Llorente replaces Dele Alli for the final five minutes - or possibly more - of the contest.
Spurs just desperate for the ball to fall to Kane inside the box, which is not happening at the moment. A case of attack against defence now as the visitors get everyone back behind the ball to create a wall; a wall Spurs cannot break down.
Half a chance for Eriksen, who put his boot through a loose ball on the edge of the box. It hit a couple of players in yellow and was cleared away. Spurs getting the ball forward at every possible opportunity - can they find a lucky break?
OFF THE LINE! Kane, marginally offside, leaps highest and sends his header off the upright. Lamela could not get to the rebound first, with Andrea Barzagli there to clear it away off the line. Incredible late drama at Wembley!
FULL TIME: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-2 JUVENTUS
JUVENTUS THROUGH TO QUARTER FINALS 4-3 ON AGGREGATE
An incredible night of football at Wembley Stadium comes to an end, with Juventus through to the quarter-finals. Two goals in the space of three minutes turned the game on its head; Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala living up to their billing by finding the net to send the Italians through 4-3 on aggregate.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from London. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from both last-16 ties to take place this evening can be found elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!
