Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted a sense of disappointment after Harry Kane failed to take the opportunities on offer against Inter Milan. The England international had come into the game on the back of a four-match scoreless run for club and country and things did not improve for himon Tuesday night where Spurs succumbed to a 2-1 Champions League defeat to the Nerazzurri.

Speaking after the game, he said: “Yes, I am disappointed because he had big chances to score in the first half. I was talking to Javier Zanetti, who is a very good friend of mine, and he said if he scores in the first half, we are talking a different game. We need to build, like the team, his confidence, but I am so happy with the effort and the attitude is massive.”

“Spurs had already suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League coming into their Champions League “opener where they had hoped to make a strong start. However, barring Christen Eriksen’s strike early in the second period and “they struggled to find another “ breakthrough and this eventually hampered them with Maurizio Sarri and Matias Vecino turning the game in Inter’s favour in the final 10 minutes.

As such, Pochettino was questioned whether he got the team selection correct with the likes of Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld left out of the travelling party but the Argentine nevertheless indicated that he had picked a team capable of challenging the Nerazzurri. With the loss, Spurs are behind both Inter and Barcelona in Group after the first round of fixtures in Group B and the next meeting versus the latter at home may be crucial to their prospects of reaching the knockouts.Barring this season, Spurs have made the Champions League group stage three times over the past decade but they have managed to progress into the knockout phase on just the one occasion.