Tottenham blew a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Olympiacos as they continue to make hard work of things in the Champions League.
Spurs’ run to last season’s final was littered with great escapes and last-ditch turnarounds but their group stage this term looked like getting off to a winning start in Athens.
They were not particularly worthy of it, but a Harry Kane penalty and Lucas Moura’s thunderbolt put them 2-0 ahead after 30 minutes.
But Daniel Podence’s goal on the stroke of half-time let Olympiacos back into it and Mathieu Valbuena’s spot-kick after the restart gave the hosts a deserved point.
It confirmed boss Mauricio Pochettino’s assertion that Spurs would not be among the favourites to win this season’s competition and though the draw means they will still be expected to get out of this group – which also features Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade – with relative ease.
Lloris was beaten in the 18th minute as a sweeping Olympiacos move saw Omar Elabdellaoui’s cross find Miguel Angel Guerrero, but his volley smashed into a post and Guilherme’s follow-up went over the crossbar.
Spurs were desperate for a foothold and they were handed the perfect way to change the course of the game in the 26th minute when Kane jinked into the penalty area and was clumsily tripped by Yassine Meriah.
Once VAR verified the decision, Kane showed nerves of steel as amid a deafening chorus of jeers and whistles he dispatched the spot-kick down the middle, putting his miss from 12 yards for England last week firmly behind him.
That proved just the tonic for Spurs and they doubled the lead only four minutes later.
Ben Davies intercepted the ball and teed up Moura, who fired a fierce drive into the top corner from the edge of the area.
If Spurs had any notion that the game was won then they had a rude awakening as Olympiacos opened the door on a comeback a minute before the break.
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