Scout Notes – Champions League – Tuesday

Another Heung-Min Son goal for Spurs and an Islam Slimani strike for Leicester help both sides to Champions League victory on a night when English football is pre-occupied with other news.

CSKA Moscow 0 Tottenham 1

Heung-Min Son (7.5) scored his fifth goal in as many matches to help an under-strength Spurs make relatively light work of a tough trip to Moscow.

Son was set up by Erik Lamela (6.9) as the pair continued their fine starts to the season – with 37 and 22 FPL points respectively, they are the club’s highest-scoring midfielders. Lamela, however, has failed to start any of the last three league matches.

Spurs were unlucky not to win by more – Dele Alli (8.3) hit the bar and they outshot their hosts by 22 attempts to nine – but Vincent Janssen (7.8) again failed to turn industry into goals.

Mauricio Pochettino made two changes to his line-up.

Injuries meant Lamela replaced Moussa Sissoko (6.9) and Ben Davies (4.9) again started for Danny Rose (5.9), while Kieran Trippier (4.8) started at right-back as the 33.6%-owned Kyle Walker (5.9) was handed a rest ahead of Sunday’s top of the table clash with Man City.

Life without Harry Kane – and a further four first-teamers currently injured – seems to be bringing out the best in Tottenham’s midfielders.

Intriguingly, the Spurs boss changed tactics, opting for a 4-1-4-1 to accomodate Lamela, Alli, Christian Eriksen (8.3m) and Son in the midfield spots behind Janssen.

Pochettino introduced Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (6.9) for Janssen in the second-half and his direct running and pace troubled a tiring Moscow defence.

The move also freed Son to play through the middle and his goal came not long afterwards, to the delight of his Will Grigg-channeling boss.

“I feel very pleased for Sonny. He is on fire and to keep this form is very important for us.””

Son, however, went for the lukewarm water approach.

“It is a lucky time – I’ve scored a lot of goals. I try to score every time and help my teammates. I thought I should have scored a second goal – it was a a great chance but everyone is happy.”

Son has been acquired by over 82,000 new FPL owners at the time of writing but is still set to go into Sunday’s clash with City found in less than 4% of squads.

Tottenham XI: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Lamela, Eriksen, Alli (Winks 82), Son, Janssen (Nkoudou 67).
Subs not used: Vorm, Walker, Onomah, Wimmer, Carter-Vickers.

Leicester City 1 Porto 0

Leicester continued to save last season’s form for the Champions League, battling to a tight win over seasoned European campaigners Porto.

Islam Slimani (8.5) made a habit of scoring against Porto for former club Sporting Lisbon, and he kept it going at The King Power, heading home from a Riyad Mahrez (9.3) cross.

Slimani now has three goals from as many starts for Leicester. His partnership with Jamie Vardy (9.8) is still developing, but not so far to the benefit of the Englishman, who has drawn three blanks.

Claudio Ranieri made two changes from the 4-1 mauling in Manchester. Kasper Schmeichel (5.0) returned from a groin injury and Luis Hernandez (4.4) replaced Danny Simpson (5.0) at right-back. The Spaniard added defensive solidity to a back four that continues to be tight at home but porous away. He also has that handy long-throw.

But it was the centre-half partnership of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan (both 5.0) who caught the eye, repelling Porto’s late rally.

Ranieri was happy to take some of the credit for the win post-match.

“I spoke with Riyad and Islam and said ‘come on guys, make something good tonight’. They made the pass and scored the goal, after that we defended very well. We played with our spirit tonight.”

A home encounter with an in-form Southampton on Sunday will be a solid test of whether ‘our spirit’ can return on a more consistent basis.

It is worth noting that Leicester have chalked up a clean sheet in three of five home matches across all competitions this season and host the Saints, West Brom, Palace and Middlesbrough in their next four at the King Power.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Hernandez, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez (Gray 88), Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton, Slimani (King 82), Vardy (Musa).
Subs not used: Zieler, Schlupp, Simpson, Okazaki.