Valencia (Spain) (AFP)

No feat for Tottenham and José Mourinho: Leipzig quickly killed the relative suspense around their 8th final return with a 3-0 success which allows the Saxons to invite themselves for the first time in quarters, like Atalanta Bergamo wins in Valencia (4-3).

The finalist of the last edition, Tottenham, decimated by injuries and who was to raise his backhand from London (1-0), leaves in the 8th against a team from Leipzig who discovered the final phase of C1.

Without their attacking stars Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, on the sidelines for weeks, or their Dutch rookie Steven Bergwijn injured on Saturday, the Spurs were cold picked in Germany by a goal by Roten Bullen captain Marcel Sabitzer as soon as the 10th minute.

The fleeting effect and the rebound of the strike from the Austrian playmaker, served at the entrance to the area by Timo Werner, deceived the London goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, with a too soft hand.

Still at fault on the goal of the break of the Germans, a head of Sabitzer --author of a double - at the far post (21st), the French world champion, was not helped by the missed interception of his right side Serge Aurier who offered his wide open corridor to the piston of Leipzig, Angeliño.

Without reaction against the Germans, pushed by their public, Tottenham was punished by a last goal from incoming Emil Forsberg late in the game (87th). And the 2019 Champions League finalist may not be enjoying the C1 anytime soon: not invigorated by the arrival of Mourinho at the end of November, the Spurs are 7 points behind the fourth in the Premier League.

- historical qualification for Atalanta -

For its first Champions League campaign, Atalanta Bergamo confirmed its first leg (4-1) to Valencia by outclassing the Spanish club 4-3 under very specific conditions.

This 8th return opened the ball of meetings behind closed doors ordered because of the epidemic of new coronavirus and the province of Bergamo (Lombardy) is one of the most affected by Covid-19 in Italy.

A heavy context which did not prevent the Bergamasques from opening the entry score thanks to a penalty obtained and transformed by their playmaker Josip Ilicic (3rd) who signed a total of fourfold.

A double from Kevin Gameiro allowed Valencia to return to the score a first time (21st) then a second (51st) after a second successful penalty by Ilicic (43rd).

But even if Valencia briefly led after a nice lob from young Ferran Torres (67th, 3-2), the club "che" was never less than three goals from qualification.

© 2020 AFP