Sebastien Bassong and Roman Pavyluchenko spared Tottenham's blushes as they came from 3-0 down at Young Boys to lose 3-2 to keep their Champions League dream alive last night.
Spurs were beaten in the play-off round first leg but will be delighted with a comeback from 3-0 down after a humiliating half-hour at the Stade de Suisse in which their hapless defence was torn to shreds.
Goals from Senad Lulic, Henri Bienvenu and Xavier Hochstrasser did the damage but Bassong scored just before half-time and Pavyluchenko struck late on to ensure Harry Redknapp's men will remain favourites ahead of next Wednesday's second leg.
The visitors had been heavy favourites to progress over two legs, though Young Boys' shock win at Fenerbahce in the last round meant they were not to be underestimated. And they immediately proved as much during a frantic opening in which Tottenham were all at sea.
Lulic struck the post in the second minute, Benoit Assou-Ekotto was booked in the fourth, and Young Boys were ahead seconds later. Thierry Doubai's long-range shot hit the back of Ammar Jemal and fell kindly for Lulic to sidefoot home.
Giovani Dos Santos would have equalised three minutes later but for a sprawling save from Marco Wolfli, while Jermain Defoe fired over left-footed from 20 yards.
But Spurs' shocking defending continued and they were 2-0 down in the 13th minute when stand-in captain Michael Dawson slipped near the halfway line, allowing Bienvenu a clear run on goal and which ended with a neat finish.
Defoe somehow failed to connect with a wonderful Pavyluchenko cross, before Spurs conceded a third in the 28th minute. The visitors were undone by a simple sliderule pass from Moreno Costanzo and Hochstrasser made no mistake to blast the ball over the onrushing Gomes.
The hosts were now looking to hit Spurs on the break and almost did so to devastating effect 12 minutes from time when Marco Schneuwly's first-time shot whistled over the bar. Pavyluchenko and Bassong both went close with headers before Heurelho Gomes went AWOL, allowing Bienvenu to set up Schneuwly for a close-range volley he blazed over.
It proved costly for the hosts as Pavyluchenko finally came good seven minutes from time to get Tottenham well and truly back into the tie. The Russian dummied Vedran Corluka's ball and Robbie Keane picked out his resulting run, from which he lashed the ball past Wolfli at the near post.