Tottenham have been given the dubious reward of facing Juventus in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Of all the runners-up Spurs could have faced, the Bianconeri and Bayern Munich were undoubtedly the two they will have been hoping to avoid.
The first names out of the hat mustered one of the most exciting draws. For the Lilywhites, a chance to meet with last season’s finalists, the two-time European champions.
From Max Allegri’s point of view, his side could have fared worse, with Paris Saint-Germain one of the potential opponents they could have been pitted against. After Spurs’ incredible exploits against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, they have announced themselves on the Champions League stage as a major banana skin for the elite clubs, yet Juve are the experts at thwarting teams who play like the north Londoners.
Mauricio Pochettino must simultaneously prepare for the dual threat of Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain at one end of the pitch, while putting equal emphasis on where the tie could really be won and lost – a Juventus defence that has conceded just 14 times in 16 league games this season.
How can Spurs beat them?
The first leg will not take place until mid-February, giving Toby Alderweireld and Victor Wanyama time to recover. If the latter links up with Harry Winks or Mousa Dembele in the middle, it will provide an added dimension whereby the back three has an extra layer of cover but Spurs can still play the ball forward from the centre. The battle in that area with Blaise Matuidi should be key, as since his move from PSG this summer, Juventus have looked a different team when he is in the side.
Spurs can take inspiration from Sampdoria and Lazio, both of whom have recorded surprise victories against Allegri’s men. Atalanta also gave them a severe test, coming back from two goals down to seal a 2-2 draw. Those three results were put down to a variety of factors in Turin, with individual defensive errors, lack of discipline as a unit, and the odd refereeing decision all playing a part.
This is exactly how Tottenham thrived against Real Madrid, unsettling them, revelling in their status as underdogs, and going at them full throttle at Wembley. They have been here before against Italian opposition. When they were paired with AC Milan in 2011, on paper, they were meeting a super-club and one of the continent’s biggest names. Pochettino’s task is to overcome Juventus, winners of six successive Scudettos, in similar fashion, simply encouraging his players to play their own game and not allow Juventus to frustrate them or allow their deadly strike force to operate.
They have a frightening front line of their own - at the end of the group stages, Harry Kane found himself among the competition’s top scorers with six goals, level with Neymar and Roberto Firmino, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite his inconsistency in domestic football, it’s in the Champions League that Dele Alli has given his best this season.
It’s in games like this when the question of rotating the full-backs is most relevant. Serge Aurier has more experience at this level than Kieran Trippier, while at his best, Danny Rose offers more width and pace than Ben Davies. Not much rattles Medhi Benatia or Giorgio Chiellini, but when Tottenham are in full flow, they are very difficult to stop.
A quick glance at the Serie A table might suggest the Old Lady’s era of unquestioned dominance in Italy is over. As it stands, they are two points off the top, behind unbeaten Inter Milan and a very formidable Napoli. There is a long way to go, however, and they have come back from this position at this stage of the season too many times before to discount them. Another key stat could be telling, though, and that is that they have failed to beat an English team in their last five attempts in the knockout stages.
Tottenham have proven that unlike last season, they are well up for all the glamour and prestige that the Champions League has to offer. It’s just a good job they’re used to doing it the hard way.
