Spurs will host German giants Bayer Leverkusen at Wembley on Wednesday night in the fourth round of the group stage of UEFA Champions League. Group E is right now the closest of the eight groups with each of the four sides having a decent chance of making it to the round of 16. Monaco, Spurs, Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow are separated by just three points so far.
Both Leverkusen and Spurs will be all fired up to get a win in this game and get one step closer to progressing to the next round. The two teams met each other last month at BayArena and Leverkusen, despite being the better of the two sides for the majority of the game, could not salvage a win with Hugo Lloris having a sensational game between the sticks.
Two attacking teams taking on each other, this should be an entertainer for the neutrals and here are three key battles those could decide the game.
Tin Jedvaj Vs Heung-Min Son
Bayer Leverkusen have both of their first-choice centre-back pairing Omer Toprak and Jonathan Tah injured for their trip to Spurs which will be a bit concerning for the fans and the manager. We expect young Tin Jedvaj to line up with Aleksandar Dragovic at the heart of the Leverkusen defence against Spurs.
The young Croat will be up against former Leverkusen star Son-Heung Min who has enjoyed a decent run of form this season. A false nine by trait, Son is a big threat with his pace and movement and Jedvaj will have his work cut out. However, with the potential he has shown from a tender age, he has what it takes to do his job and neutralise Son’s threat.
Kevin Kampl Vs Dele Alli
Slovenian international Kevin Kampl holds the key to success for Bayer Leverkusen with his all-round midfield ability. The 26-year-old pressed the opponents very hard and makes them tick from the central midfield position with his passing and creativity.
Dele Alli, Spurs’ number ten who has experienced up and down form this season, will have a tricky battle against the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder. The winner of this battle can very well decide the outcome of the game.
Javier Hernandez Vs Jan Vertonghen
13 games, 7 goals- Chicharito is a key player for the German contingent and will be posing the biggest threat to Spurs on Wednesday. One concerning factor for Roger Schmidt will be that the Mexican has failed to find the back of the net in his last four games.
With his defensive partner Toby Alderweireld out with injury, Jan Vertonghen will have to ensure that he leads the defence well against what is a pretty fluid Leverkusen attack. Spurs have been solid defensively in the League, but the clash at Wembley could be a whole different proposition.
