Spurs are woeful and Leicester resolute on a night of diminished Champions League returns for the English sides. Here’s how the rather insignificant amount of action played out.
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Bayer Leverkusen 1
Spurs slipped to third in their group after another nervy and unconvincing attempt to make Wembley their Champions League home.
Eric Dier (5.2) hit the bar from a free-kick and Dele Alli (8.2) might have had a penalty, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men were otherwise outplayed, hurried when in possession and stretched when without, as the visitors out-shot them by 11 attempts to nine.
More worryingly, they are now winless in six matches in all competitions and have scored just twice in their last five – and both of those were from penalties.
With Erik Lamela (6.7) missing out due to a hip problem, Pochettino recalled midfielder Moussa Sissoko (6.7), who is still banned domestically. Striker Vincent Janssen (7.7) dropped to the bench and full back Danny Rose (5.9) was rested, presumably with Sunday’s North London derby in mind – Ben Davies (4.8) took his place.
Janssen was soon involved, however, as Mousa Dembele (5.4) went off with a knock, which meant a return to midfield for Heung-Min Son (7.5). The South Korean, who has failed to score in his last four league starts, was a peripheral figure throughout. Close to 90,000 Fantasy Premier League managers have now cut their losses on him this week alone.
With their injury list slowly growing, Spurs’ squad is starting to look rather thin. They have sorely missed the goals of Harry Kane (10.7) is recent weeks and the England man’s possible return from an ankle injury for the weekend’s match at Arsenal cannot come soon enough.
However, with Pochettino confirming a twisted ankle for Dembele, he’ll be a major doubt for Sunday’s clash – we all know by now the impact that his absence can have on Spurs and, in particular, Kane’s scoring rate.
Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembélé (Janssen 30), Sissoko, Alli, Eriksen (Winks 66), Son (Nkoudou 73).
Subs not used: Vorm, Rose, Nkoudou, Onomah, Carter-Vickers.
FC Copenhagen 0 Leicester City 0
Sometimes the stats say it all: two teams; 29 attempts between them; only three on target. Result? Goalless draw.
But that was an outcome which suited Leicester just fine, with the Foxes needing just one more point from two matches to secure a place in the Round of 16.
Coach Claudio Ranieri made three changes from the side who scrapped to a draw away at Tottenham, with Luis Hernandez (4.3) in for Danny Simpson (4.9), Daniel Amartey (4.5) replacing Andy King (4.8) and Jeffrey Schlupp (4.9) coming in for Shinji Okazaki (5.7).
Islam Slimani (8.4), still struggling with a groin injury, didn’t even travel, which meant another start for the in-form Ahmed Musa (7.0).
The Foxes became the first side to keep a clean sheet in their first four Champions League matches, and it was no surprise that Ranieri reserved much of his praise for Kasper Schmeichel (5.0), who produced a fine late save to secure the draw.
City are now starting to replicate their Euro form in the Premier League. A good run of forthcoming fixtures – West Brom and Middlesbrough at home and trips to Watford and Sunderland – could prompt investment in the champions, particularly at the back.
Ranieri would seem unlikely to be concerned with resting players for Sunday’s meeting with West Brom given that an international break now looms.
However, the likes of Marc Albrighton (5.1) and Okazaki will be pushing for recalls, while Simpson would seem likely to slot in at right-back. Hernandez, Schlupp and perhaps Musa look the most likely to come under threat.
Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Hernández, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs, Mahrez, Amartey, Drinkwater, Schlupp (Okazaki 71), Vardy, Musa.
Subs not used: Zieler, King, Albrighton, Simpson, Okazaki, Gray, Ulloa.
