On September 14th, Tottenham will host Monaco as they begin their respective Champions League campaigns. Spurs are back in the Premier club competition in Europe after six long years and will be eager to mark their comeback with a win but Monaco are in a stunning form heading into the game and we can expect a cracker at Wembley. Spurs are coming off an emphatic 4-0 win over Stoke City on Saturday after dropping points in two of their first three matches. Heung-Mon Son stole the headlines with a brace as Spurs cruised to an emphatic 4-0 win at Bet365 Stadium.
Monaco are sitting at the top of the Ligue 1 table and are on the back of a big 4-1 win against Lille after upsetting champions PSG 3-1 in the previous game. The two sides met each other in the group stage of last year’s Europa League and Spurs won 4-1 at home and drew 1-1 away. Monaco made their way to the group stage overcoming Villareal in the playoffs and will be high on confidence as they travel to London.
Here are three key battles that could decide the outcome of the game.
Harry Kane Vs Kamil Gilk
After a relatively slow start to the season, last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner Harry Kane came back to scoring ways against Stoke City. Kane will be looking to make his Champions League debut on a strong note but will face a tricky battle against Polish defender Kamil Gilk who is in the form of his life at Monaco right now. 3.2 aerials won every game, 86.2% passing accuracy, 10.4 clearances every game- Gilk will be a tough opponent for Kane and we have to wait and see who comes out as the winner.
Bernardo Silva Vs Kyle Walker
Bernardo Silva is the heart of everything creative for Monaco and will pose the biggest threat to Spurs. The 22-year-old completed more take-ons than any other Monaco player last season and has been impressive this season too. 3 shots per game and 83.3% passing accuracy- Silva cannot be offered the place to drift inside and Kyle Walker has to take care of that. Walker has been impressive for Spurs this season with his attacking instincts setting up two goals in 4 games but he has to make sure that he tracks back to keep Silva silent.
Joao Moutinho V Eric Dier
Joao Moutinho is the most experienced player for Monaco at the highest level. The 30-year-old, who won the Euros in the summer with Portugal will be a big threat to Spurs with his creativity. 82.4% passing accuracy, 0.3 key passes every game and 0.8 long balls every game, Moutinho is an out and out playmaker and Eric Dier will be assigned the task to stop him. Dier acts as the watchful protector of the Spurs defence and dictates the tempo of the game from deep. The battle between the two midfielders can potentially decide the fate of the game.
