Jose Mourinho says Tottenham will be a team to be feared in the last 16 of the Champions League.
A much-changed Spurs side closed their Group B campaign with a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich in a game where nothing was at stake.
Mourinho’s men will now face Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia or RB Leipzig in the next round, with the draw on Monday.
The Portuguese said by the time that comes around in February, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
6 out of 6 for 1st time ✅ Most prolific away team ever (16 goals) ✅2nd highest number of goals ever in group stage (24) ✅— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2019
“I think from the teams that finished second, I think the teams that finished first will wish they don’t play against us,” Mourinho said.
“We are one of the strongest teams from the second group. I know we are a country that goes through a crazy period which many, many times leaves marks on players and teams and conditions, but by the end of February I will understand my players better, they will understand me better.
“We have two more months of work together. I think so, we will be much more ready. But today was not a question of being or not being ready.”
Mourinho is in a much more informed position after giving his fringe players a chance in the Allianz Arena, with nothing at stake.
#THFC: Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Foyth, Alderweireld, Rose, Dier (C), Sissoko, Lo Celso, Eriksen, Sessegnon, Lucas.— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2019
Ryan Sessegnon, Giovani Lo Celso, Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters all made their first starts under the new boss and it was Sessegnon who impressed the most, scoring Spurs’ goal.
They ultimately went down to a 3-1 loss, with Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller and Philippe Coutinho scoring for Bayern, but Mourinho is pleased to be now armed with information.
“It would be unfair to speak about conclusions,” he said. “No conclusions, just information and that is very important for me.
“Some of the players played their first minutes with me. Some of the players like Foyth was the first time he played.
“It was important to collect some information, information you normally collect in the season or in pre-season. I just arrived and I need information.
“The fact that we qualified against Olympiacos gave us this possibility and the fact that we played so well in the last match and we won 5-0, we were in a positive, which allowed me to come here and risk what happened.
“I am happy with the decisions I made, I hope our supporters understand what I did. Internally we made this decision and we think it was the best decision for the team.
“I will prefer a better result, but that is what it is. But I am happy with the information I take back. I take lots of information on players that is going to influence my decisions in the future.”
