Tim Sherwood's side came from behind to spark hopes of qualification, but the Portuguese giants kept their cool to reach the Europa League quarter-finals

Tottenham, ravaged by injury, were carried out on their shields here at the arena described by Tim Sherwood as a “bear pit”.

When the going got tough, £26million striker Roberto Soldado went missing. But the team-mates he left behind, after he was eventually dragged off, put on a remarkable display of bravery to come within a whisker of achieving mission impossible.

In fact, had hapless Slovenian referee Damir Skomina not bottled out of awarding Spurs a late penalty, Tottenham would have taken this tie to extra time at the very least.

Instead they return to London with Sherwood vindicated over his decision to question their character at Chelsea. Far from downing tools, they fought until the bitter end against Arsenal last Sunday and battled back brilliantly from going a goal down here in Lisbon.

When in-demand defender Ezequiel Garay headed in from Eduardo Salvio’s cross 11 minutes before the break, it looked as though the Spurs roof would collapse in the manner that it did in the first leg.

Yet the under-strength north Londoners stayed strong and set up a grandstand finish 13 minutes from time. Nacer Chadli, among those summer signings so lambasted by all and sundry, cut in from the left and powered a right-footed effort into the bottom corner.

Sixty seconds later the Belgian reduced the deficit even further, shooting into the top corner after Harry Kane, on for Soldado, had headed into his path.

Suddenly, astonishingly, against a side undefeated at home since October 2012, it was game on.

With Benfica rocking, Chadli drove another stake into the heart of the Portuguese league leaders’ defence, this time finding Gylfi Sigurdsson at the back post. The Icelandic international should have scored. Instead keeper Jan Oblak clawed the effort to safety.

Then came the moment that saved Benfica. Kane, receiving the ball in the box, was bundled over by midfielder Miralem Sulejmani for a clear penalty. Skomina refused to give it.

His linesman and the official behind the goal looked the other way too. What on earth is the point of having the additional officials if they can’t provide the crucial assistance they are supposed to give at moments like these?

A goal then would have completed an incredible recovery. Instead Spurs had been robbed. To their immense credit, however, they still - even then - refused to let their heads drop.

Yet Skomina’s controversial decision would prove pivotal. Three minutes into injury time Sandro tripped substitute Lima in the Spurs box. The Brazilian dusted himself down to make it 2-2.

Finally the tie was over. Pride, however, had been restored to the Spurs shirt. Other issues, such as Soldado’s plummeting confidence and the club’s mounting injury list, could suddenly keep for another day.