Tottenham looked set to be eliminated in the group stage but are now on the verge of the quarter-finals after a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund
It might have been easy for Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino to throw in the towel.
They were three games into their Champions League campaign this season and they were dead and buried. A pair of defeats – to Barcelona and Inter – plus a disappointing draw with Dutch also-rans PSV meant they had gained only one point by the turn.
It’s happened before – not least with Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool – that clubs have decided to run up the white flag and end their quest for European glory.