Tottenham analysis: Hugo Lloris on top form; Harry Kane misses his big chance

Hugo Lloris made a string of impressive saves to earn Tottenham a 1-1 away draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Tottenham scored for the first time in their history against the 12-times European champions when Serge Aurier aimed a cross towards Harry Kane, and defender Raphael Varane accidentally backheeled the ball into his own net in the 28th minute.

The erratic Aurier let his side down moments before the break, however, clattering into Toni Kroos in the area. Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute after sending Lloris the wrong way for was his fifth Champions League goal of the season.

Madrid were more dominant in both halves but were denied a third consecutive Champions League win by the heroics of visiting captain Lloris, who made his most outstanding save by flinging his legs out to block a goal-bound header by compatriot Karim Benzema.

Tom Collomosse assesses the key talking points at the Bernabeu...

When Mauricio Pochettino signs players, he usually knows exactly what to expect from them on the pitch - which is why the unpredictable Serge Aurier was such an interesting buy for Spurs.

Aurier did plenty of good work here, especially when he moved forward from right wing-back and combined effectively with Moussa Sissoko.

Yet too often, Aurier acts before he thinks. Yes, he was unlucky not be awarded a foul when Toni Kroos dispossessed him to start the move that led to Madrid’s equaliser.

But why did he come crashing into Kroos, conceding a penalty when the German midfielder was not in total control of the ball?

One thing is certain: watching Aurier will never be dull.

Hugo Lloris has saved some of his best displays for Tottenham’s Champions League matches, such as last season’s showing in the 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen, and this display was every bit as impressive.

The France captain transmitted assurance to his defenders throughout but the highlight was his stop to deny Karim Benzema early in the second half.

Benzema was only three yards from goal when he met Casemiro’s cross, but somehow Lloris kept the header out with his feet.

Benzema should undoubtedly have scored - but only a world-class goalkeeper could have prevented him from doing so. Fortunately, Tottenham have one.

Harry Kane’s first appearance at the Bernabeu attracted as much attention from the Spanish press as Real Madrid’s likely line-up for this game, and Kane acquitted himself relatively well against the European champions.

His pressure forced Raphael Varane to turn Aurier’s cross into his own net for the opening goal, and one burst past Sergio Ramos, followed by a cross for Fernando Llorente, had Spurs demanding a penalty.

But Kane’s big chance came in the 71st minute - and he could not take it.

Released by Llorente’s first-time pass, Kane tried to guide the ball into the bottom-right corner, only for Keylor Navas to divert it wide.

Though it was a wonderful save, Kane sets incredibly high standards for himself and will feel he should have scored.

When Danny Rose criticised Tottenham’s transfer policy and salary structure during the summer, memorably asking for signings that he did not need to “Google”, his future at the club looked bleak.

But time is a healer and three months after his explosive comments, Rose was welcomed by the Tottenham fans as he made his first appearance since damaging his knee in the 0-0 draw at Sunderland on January 31.

When Rose replaced Llorente with 10 minutes remaining, he was greeted by chants of “Danny, Danny Rose” from the travelling contingent of close to 4,000.

More significantly, his reintroduction by Mauricio Pochettino suggests relations between the pair have improved significantly since the summer.