Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten run in the Champions League came to an abrupt end last night, with holders PSG securing a huge 5-3 triumph in Paris.
The Lilywhites took the lead twice at the Parc des Princes, but Thomas Frank’s men failed to hold on and secure another victory in Europe’s biggest competition.
Vitinha’s hat-trick was enough to get Luis Enrique’s men over the line at home, leaving Frank with a huge job to do to pull his team out of their current losing spree.
Goals from Kolo Muani and Richarlison weren’t enough to give the Lilywhites all three points, but it certainly gives the manager something to rely on in the final third.
However, the same cannot be said for many members of the first team, with some starters unable to take full advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves.
Spurs’ poor performance against PSG last night
After questions were asked about the midfield department following the defeat to Arsenal, Frank decided to change shape again and give Pape Sarr a start in central midfield.
Many were clamoring for the Senegalese international to return to the starting lineup, but ultimately he failed to take advantage of his opportunity.
He was arguably responsible for PSG’s third effort, with the 23-year-old denied possession in his own defensive third before Fabian Ruiz fired over for the hosts.
The youngster wasn’t the only one to fail, with full-back Djed Spence once again unable to get into his starting role on the left side of the back four.
The Englishman failed to complete any of his dribbling or crossing attempts, subsequently highlighting the lack of contribution he made in transition.
However, without the ball, the 25-year-old was just as lackluster, as evidenced by his meager tally of just 33% of ground duels won while also being dribbled past on one occasion.
The Spurs star who had his worst game for the club against PSG
After Kolo Muani put Spurs ahead for a second time at the Parc des Princes last night, the Spurs faithful believed the club could achieve a famous European result.
However, in true Lilywhites fashion of late, they have been unable to maintain such a tally, with the collapse in the final half hour no doubt frustrating manager Frank.
Some players can absolutely emerge from such a defeat with credit and heads held high, with the aforementioned Kolo Muani arguably having his best game for the club.
Other players, such as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, have also impressed within the squad, with both being beneficiaries of the manager’s selection roulette.
The same cannot be said of many players, with Cristian Romero undoubtedly the one who comes to mind when focusing on the players who failed to deliver on their promises in Paris.
The Argentinian, captain of the Lilywhites, had a torrid evening against the reigning European champions, which undoubtedly contributed to last night’s defeat.
He played the entire match, but not without difficulty, with the central defender having to share some of the blame for Sarr’s error with his poorly timed pass into midfield.
Romero was also adjudged to have handled Vitinha’s effort late on, which allowed the Portugal international to surge from the penalty spot to complete his first senior hat-trick.
His underlying stats further demonstrate his lack of impact, with the defender committing two further fouls and being dribbled past twice.
|
Cristian Romero – statistics against PSG |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Scoring |
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Keys |
37 |
|
Completed passes |
22 |
|
Lost possession |
6x |
|
Lost duels |
50% |
|
Faults committed |
3 |
|
Penalties conceded |
1 |
|
Dribbled pass |
2x |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
Other figures, such as six times lost possession and 50% of duels lost, further highlight his lack of impact and why this was perhaps his worst performance in a Spurs shirt to date.
To cap off his dismal evening in Paris, Romero received a measly 3/10 rating from Football London journalist Alasdair Gold, reaffirming how disappointing he was against the French.
After such a performance, Frank will no doubt question his starting role, with flashes of the Argentine’s reckless nature emerging in defeat.
However, the player is hoping to still be selected this weekend to try to make amends and lead the club to a much-needed Premier League victory against Fulham.
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