WELCOME back, Dele Alli.
A month ago some of us were wondering if we would ever see the Tottenham and England back to his best before this summer’s World Cup.
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And after his early lack of concentration allowed Gonzalo Higuain to fire Juventus ahead after just 75 seconds you feared the midfielder was going to have another one of those nights.
But fair play to Dele as in a season when his ability and more so his attitude have been under the microscope, he displayed no shortage of character and commitment, along with considerable talent, to help Spurs salvage this Champions League last 16 tie.
For make no mistake, with just nine minutes played Mauricio Pochettino’s men were heading out of the competition after Higuain added to his quickfire second with a penalty seven minutes later.
As Tottenham stared into the abyss, their manager stared out on to the pitch at his players in front of him. You can only assume he was looking among them for a character to emerge to become their saviour — and in Dele he found it.
As from that moment, it was the like the reigning Young Player of the Year was a man on a mission to keep his club in Europe’s elite competition. Or at the very least, stop them from being humiliated.
After a shaky start he carried off where he left off in the 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the North London derby on Saturday, when he was outstanding.
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It was like as soon as Juventus went 2-0 up, Dele made the conscious decision to be more positive and play on the front foot.
In turn, this pushed a downbeat Tottenham team 10 yards further upfield causing the Italians to put out the cigars they had just lit.
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If you watch the match again you will notice every movement Dele made with the ball in those telling 10 minutes after his team went 2-0 down was a forward one.
There is still much debate about whether he is best as a No10 or a No8. What is certain is that Dele is at his best in attacking moves.
And we saw this as he got Pochettino’s men playing again as they went in search of a way back into this tie.
Suddenly all of the flicks and passes that were either scuffed or went astray earlier in the campaign when Dele’s form was on the floor, were now coming off.
The star’s chest was pumped again, his shoulders broad once more.
Big nights at big arenas – like the magnificent Juventus Stadium – are meant for big players.
And Dele showed he is one of those, even though his team had suffered two big blows early doors.
But from such adversity, heroes and legends are born and Dele began taking this game by the scruff of the neck.
Only a wonderful last-gasp tackle from Juve full-back Mattia de Sciglio prevented Dele from scoring on the half-hour mark.
But the midfield hot-head, playing with rediscovered maturity and confidence, did not let his nut drop and five minutes later he was rewarded as he set up Harry Kane’s goal with trademark tenacity and technique.
Determined Dele won the ball off Juve in the midfield with pure grit before showing equal finesse to thread the ball to Kane, who rounded Gianluigi Buffon and did the rest with equal aplomb.
And it was almost like the football gods were rewarding Dele when Higuain struck the bar from the penalty spot with the last kick of the first half.
The England maintained his high level of performance after the break with no repeat of the pathetic dives or angry bust-up with opponents that had blighted his previous Euro encounters.
And Eriksen’s free kick — after Dele had been fouled by Chiellini — that made it 2-2 in the 71st minute meant it was all worthwhile in the end on a night when we witnessed two astonishing comebacks . . . Tottenham’s and Dele’s!
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