Ivan Perisic gives honest verdict of Tottenham Hotspur’s win vs Marseille
Speaking in an interview after the game against Olympique de Marseille (h/t Evening Standard), Ivan Perisic claimed that Tottenham Hotspur need to be better from the get-go in games.
Spurs were drab in the first half against the French giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Much was expected by the club’s fans on Spurs’ return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since their round of 16 elimination at the hands of RB Leipzig in the 2019/20 season.
The Lilywhites were aided in their pursuit of a win by Chancel Mbemba’s red card in the 47th minute. Despite having a numerical advantage, Spurs failed to score until the 76th minute, when Richarlison headed home the opener.
A second followed in the 81st minute from the former Everton man, and the three points were no longer in doubt after that. Perisic bagged an assist for the opening goal and speaking after the game, the Croatia international believed that Spurs were perhaps a bit nervous in the opening stages.
“We should do better from the first minute. We were a little bit nervous in the first-half, especially with the ball. On the other side we defended well and kept a clean sheet but we have to keep going and do it a little bit better every day. It was a little bit easier 11 vs 10 and we did better the last half an hour.”
Perisic is crucial to Spurs’ UCL hopes
Perisic is no newcomer to this stage. The former Inter Milan and Bayern Munich star has plenty of experience playing in Europe and has won the competition once, doing so with the Bavarians in the 2019/20 season.
He was signed by the Lilywhites this summer on a free transfer after his contract at Inter Milan expired. Perisic won the Scudetto with I Nerazzurri in the 2020/21 season when Antonio Conte was in charge of the Italian club.
This is his seventh season in the UCL. His experience and winning mentality are crucial for Tottenham if they want to go one step further than they did in the 2018/19 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino.
More Tottenham News:
- Antonio Conte claims Marseille clash impacts Tottenham Hotspur’s team selection for Manchester City tie
- Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur not worried about Bayern’s interest in Harry Kane
- Harry Kane sends message to Richarlison after brace in Tottenham Hotspur’s win vs Marseille
In Antonio Conte, Spurs have a man eager to make an impression in the UCL. The team right now is more than capable of holding its own against some of the best teams in the world and hopefully, this is the season where we get our hands on the Champions League title for the very first time.
