Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min has scored his 16th goal of the season at the top European club football tournament, though his English club fell to the Italian opponents.
Son scored his team's only goal in Spurs' 2-1 loss to Juventus in the second leg of their round of 16 match at the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). This was Son's fourth Champions League goal and his 16th of the 2017-18 season. He has 10 goals in the English Premier League.
Son has now scored in three straight matches for Spurs, following his double against Rochdale in the FA Cup and Huddersfield in the EPL.
Despite Son's goal, Spurs failed to reach the quarterfinals as they lost 4-3 on aggregate after two legs. Mauricio Pochettino's side had a 2-2 draw with Juventus in the first leg.
Tottenham Hotspur`s Son Heung-min celebrating his goal against Juventus during the second leg of the round of 16 at the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium in London on March 7. (Reuters-Yonhap)
Starting as left wing forward, Son tested Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from the start. He fired a powerful left footed shot in the third minute and headed down a Kieran Trippier cross in the 20th, though both attempts were parried away by Buffon.
Son could have suffered a serious injury in the 32nd after Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli stamped on his left knee after both were vying for the ball.
The 25-year-old South Korean finally broke the deadlock in the 39th after he tapped home a low cross from Trippier's cross.
Tottenham, however, couldn't keep their 1-0 lead as they conceded two goals in the second half. Juventus' two Argentine forwards, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, each found the net in a three-minute span.
Higuain volleyed home a Sami Khedira header to even the score in the 64th, and three minutes later, Dybala scored the winner with his left foot after receiving a through ball from his Argentine compatriot.
Tottenham had a chance to tie the score in the 90th, but Harry Kane's header off a Ben Davies cross hit the post.
"I'm very proud of the team, proud of the fans, proud of the performance - it's just one main thing, the result isn't perfect," Son was quoted by saying to the club's website. "It's sad and it hurts a lot, but we can be proud." (Yonhap)