Tottenham Hotspur‘s resilience will be tested as they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday night in the second Champions League game week. It is a chance for the Lilywhites to start to gather some momentum after picking up a win against Southampton.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Resilience to Be Tested by Bayern Munich
Hold Onto Leads
Spurs’ squandering of their 2-0 lead over Olympiakos raised many questions about their mentality. Indeed, this is an ongoing problem that has spanned many seasons. Even last season the club made a very poor start in the Champions League group stages. And, this was also due to the fact they conceded late on, failing to hold onto leads. Take the 2-1 defeat against Inter Milan, with Matias Vecino’s last-minute winner as a prime example. Now in this upcoming fixture, there is no room for a repeat of any past weaknesses. Bayern Munich are one of the elite teams in Europe that deserve respect. They will not hesitate to punish Spurs if the hosts decide to give them any chances.
Team News
Mauricio Pochettino has ‘no fresh injury concerns’ according to the official Tottenham Hotspur website. Two players are currently out for the Lilywhites. This includes both Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon. Both new signings are yet to feature much at all in a Spurs shirt. And, this is a shame for the fans that have waited so long for some new faces.
Philippe Coutinho is likely to feature in this match. He’s on loan from Barcelona for a season. His dribbling ability and goalscoring haunted Spurs when he played for Liverpool.
One Bayern player missed training, Lucas Hernandez. He was injured in his last Bundesliga match but has still travelled to London. His manager explained his absence: “Lucas is not going to partake in today’s training,” he said. “He will have indoor training and he will not be in the stadium.
Bayern are also boosted with the returns of David Alaba and Ivan Perisic.
Players to Watch
Tottenham will need to watch out for Robert Lewandowski, that ever-prolific goalscorer. As a result, Spurs should field Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld to help martial Bayern’s attacking threat. Of course, there is also Coutinho to contain, and ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry to cause the defence issues. But these are just two names to which many more can be added. Kingsley Coman can bomb down the wing with pace and attacking intent. Thomas Muller may be ageing, but he is still scoring goals.
Tanguy Ndombele scored an important goal in securing the 2-1 win against Southampton. He started the match and was impressive throughout. After adjusting to his newfound match intensity, the Frenchman has been able to involve himself more in games. The midfielder evoked some elements of Mousa Dembele‘s playing style. He is capable of ghosting past players with ease. Arguably, Ndombele seems to have a better eye for those incisive passes and crosses into the final third.
Predictions
Spurs Line-up
Hugo Lloris, Serge Aurier, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Tanguy Ndombele, Moussa Sissoko, Christian Eriksen, Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane.
Result
With their players fit, and a win under their belts, Spurs have the foundations to fight hard against Bayern. Although, they must elevate their play and avoid individual errors and lapses of concentration. With a careful and clinical performance, they can grab a narrow victory.
1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
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