Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v RB Leipzig

They're determined to lose on aggregate to a 94th minute Ndombele thunderbastard, aren't they?

 

It's a funny one as we went from scoring 5 goals with 5 shots on target against Soton and City, to peppering the Villa goal, scoring 3 of which 2 were the results of freakish errors.

I would say that Son is just as wasteful as our other attackers. But ultimately he is the more gifted player - genuinely two footed and blessed with incredible pace and stamina - and so will inevitably score more than most across a season. But his wastefulness and inconsistency means he'll always struggle to be a 20 goals a season player.

Kane is the only player we have who can find the bag from a half or even quarter chance. We all saw it in the Villa game - he would've had a field day. And tbh against Leipzig if Kane takes that Berhwijn shot or Lucas' header, chances are it goes in.

So I don't think we're necessarily more wasteful than other teams. The only teams in the league who strike me as having a ridiculous chances:goals ratio are Leicester and Wolves. And perhaps that is down to them both have freakishly good injury records. Consistent team means everyone is on the same wavelength, QED more ruthless.

 

Were we more dominant for the last 20 minutes because of us or was it a case of Leipzig sitting back and defending their lead.

We regularly seem to up our game once we go behind and then the players start to play with more urgency and show some authority. When we are level or ahead we play our sideways stuff.

 

We regularly seem to up our game when Lamela comes on.

 

Takeaways:
1.Yeah, maybe playing Tanganga wouldn't have been such a bad idea.
2. It's bad luck for me to post on match day threads...though it's also bad luck to be superstitious.

 

I get your point Spurf...I just watch us waste chance after chance it seems.

about the last20 minutes against Leipzig...that’s on us also as u said. I honestly think we could batter them...but we seem fragile mentally.

 

I feel like we just don’t have a level of consistency with efficiency.

We’ve shown that in games where chances are few, we finish superbly (as CK pointed out with City and Saints) yet in games where we’re having 10+ shots (circa 4-5 on target) we’re seemingly converting just 1 or 2.

Can’t even put my finger on as to why (Kane being out obviously doesn’t help but the talent we have should still finish sufficient chances). We’ve missed so many ‘easy’ chances this season that have been the difference between 0,1 and 3 points.

 

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Tuesday 10th March 8pm
Champions League Round of 16
RB Arena​

It was another game of two halves against Burnley, the first being rather worrying, while the second offered plenty of encouragement.
We've picked up another attacking casualty though, so the trip to Germany is even more daunting than it already was.
We need to score at least twice to go through, in all likelyhood, as clean sheets aren't currently on the agenda.
Nagelsmann's men will definitely fancy their chances and the coronavirus hasn't prevented the crowd from attending.
Can Mourinho pull something out of the bag or does our season basically end here?

It's not long since we've faced RB and they've only played 3 games in between the two legs.
They destroyed Schalke 5-0 away from home in the first of those matches, but drew the other two.
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg are 4th and 7th in the Bundesliga though, so they were quite tough fixtures.
Former Ajax and Dortmund coach Peter Bosz has Bayer within touching distance of our hosts and both currently sit in Champions League places.
Both also have fairly tight defences, which we definitely don't at the moment.

No previous meeting bar the first leg, of course, so have a training video instead:

Bergwijn has joined Kane, Son and Sissoko on the treatment table for this one.
Konate and Orban are out for Leipzig, while Chelsea loanee Ampadu is a doubt due to a back injury that's kept him out for two games.
Neither side has any suspensions.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Sanchez, Alderweireld, Dier; Tanganga, Ndombele, Skipp, Vertonghen; Lamela, Bergwijn; Alli.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Winks, Fernandes, Lo Celso, Sessegnon, Moura.
League form: WWWLLD.

Leipzig: Gulacsi; Upamecano, Halstenberg, Klostermann; Lalmer; Nkunku, Forsberg, Sabitzer, Angelino; Schick, Poulsen.
Subs: Mvogo, Mukiele, Adams, Haidara, Olmo, Wolf, Lookman, Werner.
League form: DDWWDD.

Ref: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP). VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP).
This is the ref from our 4-0 win in Belgrade in the group stage. He's relatively inexperienced at this level.

TV: BT Sport 2.

How would you like to line up for this one and what would you change from the Burnley game?
Would you stick with much of the same lineup, make a few changes or go for a wholesale switch?
Which system and tactics would you use and what are you expecting Leipzig to go with?

 

Anyone know of a cave with some room to spare?

 

The club have issued advice to all fans going

That advice is to drink a can of Monster Energy in full view of the cameras

 

I don't like seeing the Tottenham badge on red

 

No need...open the back door...and enjoy the warm glow of spurs winning in the greatest comeback since jamie carragher got his sky job back after gobbing at some kid in a car

COYS

 

Edit: Added better quality version:

 

Fagan-Walcott's travelled with the squad, surprising unless Jose's gonna go for 6 at the back this time but good to see him included in the travelling party nonetheless, very bright CB prospect and one to watch out for.

With Bergwijn injured we really are ****ed. Never known a season where we've had this many injuries and we've had some rough seasons before.

Hugo
Aurier, Dave, Dier, Jan
Gedson, Winks, Gio
Lucas, Alli, Lamela

It's tough to see that team winning by two goals to be honest but it's the best we've got.

 

New year new RCL..sort of?

 

This cheered me up rcl. I read it a second time in Carragher's voice and it just got 100 times funnier.

Thank you.

 

You will be glad to know that I am nowhere near Leipzig and actually I am at work tomorrow night which is the next best thing to CKs cave!

Hard to see anything other an RB win but you never know

 

My cousins have flown to Berlin to then head onto Leipzig for the match. I'm hoping they keep up the family tradition of doing well in Germany.

In 17/18 I went to Dortmund with one of them, we won 2-1, Kane and Son.
In 18/19 the two of them went to Dortmund, we won 1-0, Kane.
Now they're going to Leipzig...

 

I'll break this to you as slowly and gently as possible but...I think 'lucky charm' there might be Harry Kane, not your extended family. Sorry.