Tottenham have surpassed expectations of even the optimistic of fans by reaching the final four of the Champions League (European Cup) for the first time since 1962.
The Lilywhites looked down and out of the competition after their first three group games from which they had only secured a point. However, Spurs miraculously turned it around in the group to qualify for the knockout stages where they have knocked both Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City of the tournament.
Tottenham have been able to come up with the goods at crucial times in several of these games, which has been a noticeable difference from previous seasons where Pochettino’s men have let things slip in crucial moments in big games.
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has revealed that the one thing that has helped the Tottenham players, is having had the experience of playing big games at last summer’s world cup.
Nine of Tottenham’s players reached the semifinal stage of the World Cup while Christian Eriksen and Davinson Sanchez also reached the knockout stages with Denmark and Columbia respectively.
Alli feels that the experience has helped Spurs cope with the pressure of big games and knockout football.
Speaking to the Mirror, the 23-year-old said, “I think it’s definitely the case that what happened at the World Cup has helped us as a team.
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“We got a lot of experience from the tournament, in different situations, winning and losing. With that experience, we have begun to show that we are learning – and that’s what has happened in the Champions League.
“Each season we are improving – in both the Premier League and the Champions League. We are heading in the right direction and we have got to keep doing that.
“When I first came to Spurs, we had a great team, great players – but maybe we didn’t have the experience we needed when we got to this point of the season. But, by sticking together and having tasted various experiences, we are just getting better and better.”
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