LONDON (AP) ― After a gloomy start to 2014 for English Premier League teams in Europe, Tottenham achieved what five rivals failed to do ― win.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City all opened the Champions League knockout phase with first-leg losses, while Chelsea drew.
But on Thursday, hours after Swansea was knocked out of the Europa League, Tottenham overturned a 1-0 deficit against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to win 3-1 at White Hart Lane and advance to the round of 16.
Roman Zozulya headed the Ukrainian side in front at the start of the second half but, after Christian Eriksen leveled from a free kick, he was dismissed for head-butting Jan Vertonghen in the 62nd minute.
Within six minutes, Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice to set up a meeting with Benfica, which beat PAOK Salonika 3-0 to go through 4-0 on aggregate.
Swansea’s loss at Napoli kept Rafa Benitez on course to win back-to-back Europa League titles.
The Spanish manager, who lifted the trophy with Chelsea last season, saw his new team emerge 3-1 winners over Swansea after a goalless first leg in south Wales. Napoli will next face Porto, which drew 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt to advance on away goals with a 5-5 aggregate draw.
There will be an all-Spanish meeting in the round of 16 next month after Sevilla ousted Maribor and Real Betis beat Rubin Kazan.
