Late strikes eased a tense atmosphere at White Hart Lane as Tottenham survived a second-half fightback to beat Panathinaikos 3-1 and progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Needing just a draw to progress, Spurs had an air of complacency about them in the opening period, which Panathinaikos controlled for large parts.
Emmanuel Adebayor put Tottenham ahead just before the half hour, but the Greeks, who have never won in Britain, played the better football and deservedly equalised through Zeca just after the re-start.
Panathinaikos, knowing victory was their only means of qualifying for the knockout stages, threw everything at Tottenham and looked the more likely to score before Clint Dempsey – whose header went in after hitting both the bar and keeper Orestis Karnezis – and Jermain Defoe’s 13th goal of the season settled the game late on.