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Previewing: Spurs v Monaco

5 min read
by ThinkSpurs
ThinkSpurs takes a look at tonight's opponents AS Monaco. What can we expect from the Les Rouges et Blancs at Wembley? Will they be a different from proposition from the team we dispatched in last season's Europa League? ThinkSpurs has the answers.

It’s been five long years in the desert, but Tottenham have finally returned to the promised land of Champions League. A completely different set of players will represent the Lilywhites in the 2016/17 edition of Europe’s elite competition, but Tottenham fans will be hoping for similar excitement levels to their last endeavour.

Many fans still vividly remember Aaron Lennon’s run of the pitch against AC Milan before he teed it up for Peter Crouch, and who could forget Gareth Bale’s masterclass in the San Siro against Maicon? The Spurs faithful will be hoping for more of the same from Harry Kane and co. this season, and the campaign begins as we welcome Ligue Un leaders Monaco to Wembley…

What to expect from Monaco?

Tottenham and Monaco are familiar foes, having faced off against each other in last year’s Europa League. A Lamela-inspired Tottenham prevailed over two legs on that occasion (A 1-1 draw in France, followed by a 4-1 win at the Lane), however, the Monaco team coming to town this week appears to be a different beast.

[linequote]While there has been no shortage of goals so far this season at Monaco, they are lacking an out-and-out prolific striker[/linequote]

Like Spurs, the Principality club are currently unbeaten in the league so far this season. AS Monaco lead the way in the French top flight with three wins and a draw, including a convincing 3-1 win against reigning champions PSG.

[IMG]
Monaco 3 – 1 PSG, Monaco Line-Up

During that impressive win, Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim set his side up defensively. With a defence built on captain Daniejl Subasic and No-nonsense Polish centre-back Kamil Glik. Defensive minded midfield duo Sidibe and Fabinho have been two of the leading performers at Monaco this season, while Portuguese winger Bernardo Silva provides spark from the wing. The team was built around key man (and long-term Tottenham target) Joao Moutinho who orchestrates Monaco’s play from the middle of the park. Looking ahead to this week’s action, Tottenham holding midfielder Eric Dier can expect his hands full with the likely task of shutting down the Portuguese maestro.

While there has been no shortage of goals so far this season at Monaco, they are lacking an out-and-out prolific striker. The likely starter on Wednesday is Valére Germain. The 26-year old Frenchman has been on the books at Monaco since 2010, but spent last season on loan at OGC Nice where he notched 14 goals in 38 games, but he is yet to score since his return to Monaco.

Another figure Tottenham’s defence may come toe-to-toe with this week is former European goal-machine Radamel Falcao. The former Porto and Atletico Madrid star has returned to Monaco after a lacklustre time in England, and is yet to make an appearance in Ligue Un this season. Nevertheless, Falcao certainly has a nose for goals on occasions like this, and you can be sure that Pochettino will have pointed to the Colombian as a serious potential threat.

The last name Tottenham fans should become familiar with before the tie is that of Adama Traoré. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder starred for Mali in last year’s U20 World Cup, where he took home the Golden Ball award for Best Player after scoring 4 goals and recording 3 assists. The dynamic attacker is likely to cause problems for Tottenham, especially if he comes off the bench to test tired legs.

What about Tottenham?

As I alluded to in this week’s End-Game Round-Up of EPL action, I discussed the pleasant selection headache Pochettino now faces. Two weeks ago, Tottenham seemed limited in their options in attack, yet as of now, it’s highly likely that two of Sissoko, Lamela or Heung Min Son will start on the bench as Spurs start their European campaign.

Ben Davies ably deputised for the injured Danny Rose midweek, and will likely continue his role in Wembley, while it’s possible that Kieran Trippier could provide a break for Kyle Walker, though that may be more suited to a later tie. Breaking up the rock solid centre-back pairing would be lunacy for such an important game, while Harry Kane is a sure-fire starter up front. That leaves the last selection headache at centre-midfield, where Pochettino must be itching to write the name ‘Dembele’ on the teamsheet for the first time this season.

With that in mind, here is my expected line-up for Spurs X Monaco

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Predicted Line-Up: Spurs x Monaco

While Victor Wanyama has impressed in place of Dembele so far this season, it’s likely that the Dembele-Dier tandem which served Tottenham so well last season will again be trusted to deliver in European competition. Similarly, the attacking quartet of Lamela-Alli-Eriksen-Kane has been Pochettino’s go-to unit since he started at White Hart Lane, and all four have come into form at the ideal moment. That said, Heung Min Son impressed at the weekend, and Moussa Sissoko offers a devastating combination of pace and power, so don’t be surprised if either of those two prove to be the matchwinner from the bench.

[linequote]It’s likely that the Dembele-Dier tandem which served Tottenham so well last season will again be trusted to deliver in European competition[/linequote]

The last Tottenham boss to oversee a Champions League game was the Great Harry Redknapp, and Harry himself has often spoken of his admiration for the current Spurs side. However, this week Redknapp bemoaned the fact that Tottenham will play their home UCL games in Wembley, referring to it as a major disadvantage.

I beg to differ though – This opportunity gives Tottenham the unprecedented chance to fill an 80,000 seater stadium. With the majority of that monstrous crowd in Lilywhite, there’s great hope that the team will be further driven to rise to the occasion, making a trip to Wembley an extremely daunting proposition for opposition sides.

Prediction

  • A cautious Monaco side to set up extremely defensively, relying on moments of magic and set pieces from Joao Moutinho to steal a result
  • Tottenham’s playmakers to thrive in the extra space provided by Wembley’s bigger pitch. Look for particularly productive days from Erik Lamela and Kyle Walker, as the superfit duo should wreak havoc given the extra space.
  • Man of the Match performance from Moussa Dembele – The Belgian midfield general must be craving some Tottenham action, and doing under the bright lights of a Champions League evening gives him the perfect platform to dominant
  • Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 0 Monaco

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