Real Madrid and Tottenham will battle again in the UEFA Champions League, as they seek to establish who will win Group H. At the Bernabéu, Mauricio Pochettino’s men held the European Champions to a 1-1 draw, and at Wembley, they’ll look to go one better. Tottenham currently sit atop the group on goal difference, but a win for either side would firmly decide who’ll be getting the more favourable draw in the next round.
Real Madrid are coming into this match off an embarrassing defeat away at Girona which was their first loss to a newly promoted side in 27 years. The historical loss also means that Los Blancos’ 13-game away winning streak has been halted. Zinedine Zidane’s men now find themselves 8 points behind Barcelona, if the gap gets any bigger, the title will be heading back to Catalonia.
For Spurs, they’re coming into this monumental clash on the back of a disheartening 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford. It’s no shame to lose to Manchester United, but it’s the manner of the defeat that will disappoint Mauricio Pochettino most. Tottenham were toothless, lacking creativity and all over the place defensively. Some would attribute this to the absence of Harry Kane, and others would say José Mourinho just tactically nullified Pochettino’s men.
Here are the key battles to look out for as Tottenham take on Real Madrid.
1Cristiano Ronaldo vs Toby Alderweireld
The world’s best player has evolved from a flashy winger into a lethal striker in recent years. The 32-year-old no longer operates on the wide left; he instead looks to adopt a more central role. Up against Tottenham’s back three, Real Madrid will be playing a front two of Ronaldo & Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo often operates on the left side of these two, meaning he’ll be directly facing Toby Alderweireld at Wembley. The Belgian is one of the most competent defenders in world football, and his no-nonsense style of tackling will be a stern test for Cristiano Ronaldo.
