VIDEO: Olympiacos 2-2 Tottenham: Mathieu Valbuena scores equaliser as Tottenham surrender two-goal lead in opening Champions League group game

• Tottenham surrendered a two-goal lead to end up drawing 2-2 away to Olympiacos in Champions League  
• Harry Kane put Spurs ahead from the penalty spot in the 26th minute after he was fouled by Yassine Meriah 
• An excellent strike from Lucas Moura on the half-hour mark saw Tottenham double their lead in Greece 
• Olympiacos got a goal back before the break after an impressive run and finish from Daniel Podence 
• Mathieu Valbuena pulled Olympiacos level from the penalty spot after being fouled by Jan Vertonghen 

If you’re going to crumble then you might as well do it in Greece where the ruined statues of the Gods are still guaranteed to attract enormous crowds and great fascination.

Tottenham arrived as heroes of the Champions League, runners-up last season, established a two-lead before they collapsed and escaped the Athenian port of Piraeus grateful to have a point in the bag.

It is one more point than they had acquired at this stage last season, at the start of a European campaign which went all the way to the final in Madrid.

Perhaps in time it will prove a good point against a strong Olympiacos side in the hostile atmosphere of the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium but it did not feel that way on Wednesday night.

Mauricio Pochettino had spoken on the eve of the game about ‘repairing the damage’.

Having waited all summer, turning over in his mind the disappointment of losing the final to Liverpool in June, he was keen to sink his teeth into the Champions League once again.

This, however, was not a performance to cleanse those memories.

Instead, it was a reminder that something is not quite right with Spurs as Pochettino rested players.

Errors littered their game, Davinson Sanchez was again unconvincing as a stand-in right back and the game passed record signing Tanguy Ndombele by in midfield.

They started shakily are were fortunate not to conceded first before taking control with a penalty won and scored by Harry Kane and a second from Lucas Moura, four minutes later.

Just as at Arsenal in the north London derby last month, they were unable to reach half-time with the two-goal lead intact.

Olympiacos reduced the deficit moments before the break and struck again from a penalty early in the second half.

Big names have been humbled here before and Olympiacos were primed for on another scalp as they skipped into the game with all the confidence of a side not beaten since February.

They have been impressive under Portuguese coach Pedro Martins and conceded only once in their first nine games of this season.

Tottenham were soon on the back foot. Hugo Lloris made the first save of the game, low to his right to deny Daniel Podence, diminutive and dynamic on the right flank.

Lloris saved again from Miguel Angel Guerrero, this time more comfortably because the striker did not strike it as sweetly as he would have liked, but the Greeks were opening up Spurs on the flanks.

Sanchez and Ben Davies were deployed as full-backs as Pochettino rested Danny Rose and Serge Aurier, which suggests the manager has little faith in young right back Kyle Walker-Peters who started on the bench.

Guerrero slammed another effort into the base of a post and the stadium shook once again before Kane brought the volume levels down.

Collecting the ball wide on the right he jinked past Yassine Meriah and was tripped as he entered the penalty area.

Olympiacos disputed the decision but the replays were clear and Kane stepped forward to silence the din by lifting his penalty high into the net.

It was his fourth in six games for his club this season.

Within four minutes the lead was doubled when Ben Davies played a square pass to Moura who strode forward towards the edge of the area and unleashed a fierce drive which flashed past Jose Sa.

Suddenly Spurs had the look of grizzled Euro veterans, soaking up the pressure, riding their luck and taking a solid lead into the interval.

At least they did until they conceded in the closing seconds of the first half.

Podence found space again on the right and applied a clinical finish across Lloris and into the net off the far post.

Home fans were re-energised. They roared their team into the half-time break and back out, survived a scare when a goal by Dele Alli was ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee and then levelled.

The equaliser was from a penalty conceded by Jan Vertonghen who was adjudged to have fouled Mathieu Valbuena from behind on the edge of the area.

Valbuena climbed to his feet and sent his friend and former France team-mate Lloris the wrong way from the spot.

All square and the Greeks were not content to settle for a point. They detected victory and committed players forward.

Pochettino sent on Mousa Sissoko to replace Ndombele and the game was stretched with chances to win it at both ends.

Alli was clean through only to be denied by the outstretched leg of keeper Sa and Kane headed over when unmarked at the near post at a corner.

Sub Youssef Benzia blazed the best opportunity for the home team over and Lloris escaped when he dropped a cross.

https://youtu.be/j6uHNm-7TkY

source:dailymail