Spurs thought they'd claimed a famous result to secure progress with a match to spare against Sporting Lisbon last week, only to see everything that could've gone wrong go very much wrong.
Harry Kane (29) thought he'd scored his side's winner late into stoppage time, but a lengthy and controversial VAR call ruled the goal out for offside, leaving Tottenham with just a draw.
In the ensuing melee, manager Antonio Conte saw red for lambasting the referee and subsequently will not be on the touchline nor in the dressing room for this evening's key clash against Marseille.
No strangers to tough luck and tricky scenarios when it comes to Europe, Spurs still have plenty of work to do during the final round of fixtures, in a group where it's genuinely all still to play for.
Bare minimum
While a draw against a plucky Sporting side wasn't the worst conceivable result given the wider context, a win would have given them much-needed breathing space to rest a few key players in what has been a punishing schedule for all sides leading up to the World Cup.
Spurs still sit top of the group going into the game with eight points, ahead of Sporting in second and Frankfurt in third, both on seven points each. Marseille foot up the table but still have six points and can still progress themselves with a result.
Tottenham travel to the cauldron that is Marseille's Stadé Velodrome needing just a point to ensure progress, although it wouldn't guarantee top spot - which could lead to a more difficult tie in the knockout stages.
An away win would see Spurs go through as group winners, and they'll be hoping for a repeat of the performance that saw them run out as 2-0 winners in the first meeting.
Nightmare scenario
While the North London side can't mathematically finish bottom of the group, they could still drop into third place and ultimately out of the Champions League and into the Europa League.
While not the biggest disaster in the world, it would leave a remarkably sour taste after the late and lengthy VAR decision that deprived fans, players and staff of the jubilant scenes we witnessed in last week's encounter.
A loss for Spurs in France would relegate them to Europe's second-tier competition, with Igor Tudor's side remarkably leap-frogging them in the process.
Marseille could even top the group with a win over Spurs and if Sporting and Frankfurt finishes as a draw.
Conte a big miss
Spurs will be without coach Antonio Conte on the sidelines or the in the dressing room after being sent off in the last match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Renowned for his '12th man' micro-management approach from the dugout, Kane and co will be without their steely, winning-obsessed manager and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact this has on their performance.
Statistics and performances have been poor in the first half of games for Tottenham this season, with Conte seemingly having a huge impact on his team's approach after half-time, with the Lilywhites having won 10 points from losing positions in the Premier League so far this season - more than any other side.
Assistant coach Cristian Stellini will take the reigns against Marseille and has already said in his pre-match press conference that the Tottenham squad "are in a different world" while preparing without the demanding Italian.
Spurs fans will also be hoping that Marseille's group of former Arsenal players are kept quiet in what is set to be a feisty affair, with Alexis Sanchez (33), Matteo Guendouzi (23), Nuno Tavares (22) and Sead Kolasinac (29) all on the Marseille books.
