Spurs win their psychological battle after a game of risk

Resilience on a fiery night and without Conte impresses but another slow start is a concern

- Dan Kilpatrick Chief Football Correspondent in Marseille

TOTTENHAM completed another dramatic comeback in stoppage-time and passed a stern test of character as they booked a place in the Champions League knockouts last night.

If Saturday's last-gasp win over Bournemouth was down to Spurs' quality from the bench, this result felt above all like a victory for the mentality of Antonio Conte's players.

Fairly or not, Spurs will not shake the tag of bottlers until they win something and the occasion had more than enough elements to suggest they might crumble under the pressure, from the lingering pain of Harry Kane's disallowed winner against Sporting Lisbon last week to the presence of three former Arsenal players in the Marseille XI.

More importantly, Spurs were missing key players and Conte himself - with the Italian banned from the touchline and dressing room - while the home fans created a ferociously hostile environment.

There was a booming atmosphere here inside the Stade Velodrome even with one stand closed by UEFA for previous crowd trouble - and the Marseille ultras welcomed Spurs to the port city with two fabulous displays of fire works outside their team hotel during the early hours of yesterday morning.

Initially, Spurs looked on course to wilt and they deservedly trailed to Chancel Mbemba's header after an atrocious first-half display.

Watching from the stands and unable to communicate directly with the dressing room, Conte must have feared his dismal record in the Champions League was set to continue but, in his absence, his players rallied to another recovery.

Clement Lenglet headed home an equaliser 10 minutes after the interval and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg finally secured their spot in the last-16, and as group winners, with a fierce finish off the post with the last kick of the match.