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Tottenham 2-0 Olympique de Marseille: Champions League match report, player ratings, fan reaction and more

A Champions League debut to remember by summer signing Richarlison was enough to help Tottenham join Sporting CP at the top of Group D to close out the first week of Champions League action in 2022-23

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Tottenham Hotspur FC fans will be singing well into the night after Spurs secured all three points against last season’s runner-up in Ligue 1 in a hard-fought 2-0 win over Olympique de Marseille in the English capital.

A difficult opening forty-five minutes saw the pair of antagonists go into the half-time interval all square at nil-nil, but a moment of madness from former Newcastle center-back Chancel Mbemba saw OM reduced to ten men after receiving his marching orders and effectively undoing the good work that Igor Tudor’s men had put in up to that stage of proceedings.

In what was another frustrating performance to watch at times as results are being prioritized over silkiness of play, Conte’s men got the win over the line on the back of a brace from summer signing Richarlison who could not have predicted a better Champions League debut after heading home twice in the final fifteen minutes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That result sees Spurs keep pace with Portuguese giants Sporting CP who came away with all three points on their travels to Germany in a 3-0 win against holding Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga outfit’s first match in the Champions League since 1959.

Spurs now remain undefeated in seven matches across all competitions and could find added confidence after securing a result against a side in Marseille that received heavy praise last season under former boss Jorge Sampaoli, and will now look to prepare to clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Match Data

Tottenham Player Ratings

GK: Hugo Lloris (6.5) – Little to do for the French international number one, but the talking point – as ever – came down to a poor moment of decision making that luckily did not cost the club.

CB: Eric Dier (6.5) – Did no worse than Lenglet in the heart of the back line tonight but moving forward it is unclear if he remains a first-choice option under Conte.

LCB: Clément Lenglet (6.5) – Continues to try to work himself into form since his loan arrival from Barcelona. Serviceable on the evening but nothing outstanding.

RWB: Emerson Royal (7) – One of his best performances in a Spurs shirt under Conte. A defensive monster for 60 minutes but sacrificed for Kulusevski as Spurs needed a goal.

LWB: Ivan Perišić (7.5) – Another match where the Croatian star has justified the club prioritizing his acquisition this summer. Played a sublime ball to set up Richarlison’s first goal in an overall very good performance.

CM: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (8) – The Danish international midfielder continues to set a high bar in the heart of Tottenham’s midfield under Conte. Added an assist on his night as well.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur (7) – A good outing from the Uruguayan tonight who has kept summer signing Yves Bissouma out of the XI while forming a very competent duopoly with Højbjerg.

RAM: Richarlison (8.5) – A brace of well-taken headed efforts on his Champions League debut for his new club that will no doubt be a massive boost to his confidence.

LAM: Son Heung-min (6) – Was taken down by Mbemba to give Spurs the chances they needed to secure all three points, but otherwise a very quiet evening from the Spurs star.

CF: Harry Kane (7) – No goal tonight for the England star but his presence alone on the pitch makes him a threat. A credible performance despite not hitting the back of the net.

Sub: Dejan Kulusevski (6.5) – No goal or assist for the Swedish international in an appearance off the bench tonight. Richarlison’s brace may force him to remain there at the weekend.

Sub: Ben Davies (6.) – Nothing more than a defensive depth option now at Spurs, the Welsh defender at least helped refresh the backline when he came on for Lenglet.

Sub: Japhet Tanganga (6.5) – In a season where the Spurs academy product is fighting for his future at the club, it was a halfway decent ~20 minutes after coming off the bench.

Sub: Yves Bissouma (N/A) – Came on for nothing but a handful of minutes in the dying moments of proceedings.

Sub: Matt Doherty (N/A) – See above.

Olympique de Marseille Player Ratings

GK: Pau López (5.5) – Can probably be held to account for his inability to keep out Richarlison’s first goal. Struggled to control the area in the later stages of proceedings.

RCB: Chancel Mbemba (5) – A moment of horrendous judgment by the Congolese international, hacking down Son and receiving a straight red for his efforts. Cost OM dearly.

CB: Eric Bailly (6.5) – The only OM defender to comport himself relatively well on the evening when reflecting over the course of 90 minutes. Maybe deserved a point.

LCB: Samuel Gigot (6) – A credible threat in the air while completing over 90% of his passes. Still, probably should have done better overall given the circumstances.

RWB: Jonathan Clauss (6) – The former RC Lens standout was decent at best on the evening but not nearly as influential as he is capable of on his best day.

LWB: Nuno Tavares (6) – Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares did not have another scintillating performance on his return to London. He’s human after all.

CM: Valentin Rongier (6.5) – Now one of the key central figures at OM, Rongier was unable to have an influential performance against a firing midfield pair of Højbjerg and Bentancur.

CM: Jordan Veretout (6.5) – A relatively okay performance from the former Aston Villa midfielder but certainly was hamstrung overall when OM was reduced to ten men.

RAM: Mattéo Guendouzi (6.5) – Playing a more advanced role than last season, Guendouzi was unable to channel lingering Spurs hatred. He did lead OM in shots taken, however.

LAM: Gerson (6) – A relatively ineffective outing for the Brazilian before being removed on 50-minutes with OM needing a defensive change in the wake of Mbemba’s sending-off.

CF: Luís Suárez (6.5) – Suárez struggled to truly impose himself in Spurs’ defensive third of the pitch, managing zero of Marseille’s seven shots by the time he was removed.

Sub: Leonardo Balerdi (6) – Received forty minutes of action after replacing Gerson not long after the break but was unable to help keep Tottenham off the scoreboard.

Sub: Sead Kolasinac (5.5) – Another connection to Arsenal, the Bosnian international wing back replaced Clauss at right back and the difference clearly showed.

Sub: Amine Harit (6) – The tricky Moroccan forward previously starred at Schalke but now is a depth option at OM who very much looks the part. Unable to breathe life into the side.

Sub: Pape Gueye (N/A) – A three-minute cameo off the bench and thrown into the fray in midfield. Hardly much to judge.

Sub: Cengiz Ünder (N/A) – Hardly offered a spark off the bench but only received a meager opportunity to make an impact.

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Andrew Thompson

US-based Football writer. German football guru with a wealth of experience in youth development and analysis. Data aficionado. Happily championing the notion that Americans have a knowledgeable voice in the beautiful game.

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