Spurs topped Group G of the Champions League,
recording five wins in the process, and their
next European tie sees them take on Max Allegri’s
Juventus, who are in the hunt for a seventh
straight Serie A title. Spurs saw off Borussia
Dortmund and beat Real Madrid at home, but
can they see of Italy’s most successful
side?
In big European games this season, Mauricio
Pochettino has employed a three man defensive
line, wing backs, and either two or three
central midfielders behind one or two attacking
midfielders and the irrepressible Harry Kane.
In possession at the back, Spurs’ three
defenders show a high degree of competence
on the ball – the two outer centre backs
split wide, while Harry Winks or Eric Dier
drop in to offer a passing option down the
central space. Sanchez, Vertonghen, Alderweireld,
and Dier are all comfortable with the ball
and can play long or short – Hugo Lloris
is also good enough with his feet to create
a series of passing options that allow Spurs
to recycle possession, lure in an opposition
press, and then create space for longer passing
options vertically.
The wing backs, Trippier or Aurier on the
right and Rose or Davies on the left, hold
a position around the half-way line, offering
width, while the rest of the midfield moves
constantly, looking to find a patch of space
in which to receive a pass, turn, and either
drive forwards or release Kane.
Spurs attack through their creation of overloads
in the half-spaces, using the quick, deft
passing and moving of Eriksen, Dele Alli,
and Son, in tandem with Kane’s off-the-ball
movement, to find openings, especially between
the lines.
Defensively, Spurs press hard in the opposition
half, using the touchline as a defender and
seeking to capitalise on poor touches, situations
where the opposition are facing their own
goal, and where players are close to the touchline.
They often set up with a man-orientated press,
staying close to players and then hounding
them into errors, but will also cleverly press
passing lanes.
Against Dortmund and Real Madrid, Spurs settled
rapidly into a low block once the half-way
line was crossed, with the wing backs dropping
in to create a five man defensive line, shielded
by a compact midfield three and Kane plus
one of the advanced midfielders staying slightly
ahead of them. This allowed Spurs to defend
the central spaces well, encourage the opposition
to head wide, and have two men up for any
potential counter attacks. Spurs were happy
to hold a deep line in their penalty area
and rely on aerial prowess to clear the ball
from crosses; what they wanted to avoid was
anyone attacking through the central space.
Juventus will pose a challenge, of course
– they’re a superb side. Their 4-2-3-1
or 4-3-3 resemble systems that Spurs have
already seen off in the competition, but Juventus
offer a few specific threats that Spurs will
need to counter. Juventus drop off into a
compact 4-4-2 in defence, sometimes even a
4-5-1, which compresses the space available
to opposition attackers.
Juve’s lack of aggressive pressing means
that Spurs’ possession in their own defensive
third will likely not draw the Italian side
forwards quite as much; Spurs could end up
finding they have a lot of time on the ball
but no one to pass it to.
Juventus will also likely use Giorgio Chiellini
to carry the ball into midfield, while Gonzalo
Higuain will drop off from the forward line,
while Mario Mandzukic can then move inside
as an inverted winger – the Croatian will
also pose an issue for Spurs’ right back
as he receives a lot of aerial passes due
to his imposing height and physicality. These
positional transitions could drag Spurs players
away from their zones of responsibility and
leave openings, especially for Blaise Matuidi
to drive into Juventus’ left half space.
An intriguing tactical battle awaits – Spurs
have shown they can beat Europe’s best already
this season and, if Pochettino gets it right,
they can do so again.
