The two giants of European football in Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid will once again go head to head this midweek, in an attempt to finish in the stop in their respective group. Both the sides collided with each other two weeks ago at the Santiago Bernabeu where Spurs managed to sneak out a point against the European champs.
Real Madrid, will seek revenge against Mauricio Pochettino’s men at the Wembley this midweek. Coming into this game, the visitors are currently second in their group but a win could easily give them an advantage over Spurs in the upcoming games.
Both sides, however, are on the back of a rusty league form, of late. Hosts Spurs endured a disappointing 1:0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United and are winless since their massive victory against Liverpool a few weeks ago. An upturn of fortune is paramount if they are to triumph against this strong Real Madrid side.
Although, Zinedine Zidane’s men have also stumbled against Girona in the weekend, as they lost 2:1. Their disappointing performance attracted a lot of criticism for the players and the coach. The Frenchman will be eager to once again prove the critics wrong, with a strong showing at the Wembley on Wednesday.
On the other hand, both sides will hope that third-placed Borussia Dortmund stumbles against APOEL once again, which will almost seal their places into the next round.
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur will fear of Harry Kane’s absence on Wednesday, as the English International was forced off due to a hamstring injury against Liverpool, which resulted in him missing the games against West Ham and Manchester United. His absence was coincided with Tottenham not being able to win a single game afterwards.
Victor Wanyama is the only other first-team regular set to miss the game against Real. On the flip side, head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be boosted by the return of Dele Alli, as he comes back from his European suspension.
The injury woes for Real Madrid mount as Los Blancos are expected to be without star playmaker Isco and Gareth Bale. The former Spurs superstar is hugely doubtful for the clash. Dani Carvajal and Mateo Kovacic are also sidelined for their long-term injuries, while goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who missed the last three consecutive games, is also a massive doubt.
The situation became awful when Raphael Varane was subbed off early after catching a knock in the defeat against Girona in the weekend. His absence will be a huge blow for Zidane, in the defensive department.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-1-1 formation): Hugo Lloris; Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen; Serge Aurier, Eric Dier, Harry Winks, Christian Eriksen, Ben Davies; Dele Alli; Fernando Llorente
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2 formation): Kiko Casilla; Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Marco Asensio; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema.
Prediction
Tottenham 1-3 Real Madrid
Odds (Courtesy of Betfair)
Real Madrid – 5/4
Tottenham – 11/5
Draw – 11/4
