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Tottenham Fight For UCL Hopes Against Barcelona

While the weekend’s Premier League fixtures aren’t quite said and done just yet, many fans are already looking ahead to midweek – as the Champions League returns. Some of the biggest and best clubs from around Europe will be squaring off for the right to solidify their place either in the knockout stages of the UCL, or in the Europa League. Many clubs are in many different positions and that’s one of the reasons why the group stage is so fascinating, and to a lot of neutral fans, there is one game that is set to stand out above the rest: Barcelona vs Tottenham Hotspur.

Barcelona vs Spurs is a game we’ve seen a handful of times, and if their encounter earlier this season is anything to go by, then we’re in for quite the treat. The Spanish champions know that they’re the ones in control of their own destiny, mainly because they’ve already secured the top spot in the group. Spurs, on the other hand, must better Inter Milan’s result against PSV Eindhoven (or match it) in order to secure a place in the final 16. It’ll be tough, but a lot of people tend to think that it’s quite doable.

Since taking charge it feels like Ernesto Valverde has taken all the necessary steps to getting Barca back to where they need to be. They’ve long since been waiting to challenge for the Champions League trophy again, in a period which has been utterly dominated by their rivals Real Madrid. Of course, they’re still achieving great things domestically, but when you can see the other team across from you performing so well it can be hard to take. Some people don’t care about that, but you just know deep down Barca want the title of ‘Champions of Europe’ back, and they’ll do anything to claim it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNzuUaQJRWU

Mauricio Pochettino, on the other hand, has come under more scrutiny this season than ever before. While that isn’t saying much given that he’s viewed as the Messiah by a lot of folks in North London (on the white side, not the red) it’s still worth noting. They’ve done some magnificent things both domestically and in Europe over the course of the last few years, and they won’t be afraid of Barca in this one. If they implement their own style and don’t get caught up in the magnitude of it all, then they could be on their way towards something great.

Despite how unstoppable Barca are perceived to be, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows in their last six game stretch. They kicked things off with a surprising 4-3 defeat at the hands of Real Betis, before drawing 1-1 against Atletico Madrid – which opened up the title race in a big way. Thankfully for them they got back on track with a narrow 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven, before a 2-0 win over Villarreal. A 4-1 demolition of Cultural Leones in the Copa del Rey soon followed, before they put on an absolute clinic against Espanyol by winning 4-0.

Spurs have also had their highs and lows, with their most recent six game stretch beginning with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. They really took it up a notch two weeks later, however, defeating Chelsea 3-1 in a game that served as proof to the rest of the league regarding what they were capable of. They then beat Inter Milan 1-0 to put their UCL qualification hopes back in their own hands, although a 4-2 defeat against bitter rivals Arsenal threatened to set them back a few steps. They know how to bounce back better than most, though, with consecutive wins over Southampton (3-1) and Leicester (2-0).

As we noted earlier this fixture has gone down a handful of times, and when we say handful, we mean three. Their first meeting occurred back in 1982 when they drew 1-1 in the first leg of their UEFA European Cup Winners Cup tie, with Barca winning the second leg 1-0. Then, fast forward to 2018, when Barca beat Spurs 4-2 in a game that opened the eyes of many as to just how little there was between the two sides when they both played to their full potential.

Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi. All three of those men scored in the game against Espanyol, and the biggest question of all is going to be how many of them end up starting against Tottenham Hotspur. You could argue that they shouldn’t be taking any risks whatsoever given that they’ve already qualified, but it’s all about pride for a team like Barca. We’re anticipating at least one of the three to start, probably Dembele, with around four or five of the remaining starting XI also featuring from the first whistle when the game goes down.

The main man for Spurs is going to be Harry Kane in this one, as the Englishman attempts to write another famous chapter into his already fascinating story. Son has looked great in recent weeks and deserves the chance to start here, whereas Dele Alli needs to prove that he can get the job done on the biggest stage in Europe. They still have strong options at the back with the majority of their squad being fully fit, but ensuring that they don’t get overwhelmed in midfield is going to be the biggest obstacle for them.

Barcelona vs Tottenham Betting Prediction

One of the most interesting elements of this game will be how Tottenham go about attacking Barca. If they try and take it steady and dictate the pace through the middle as they usually do, then we feel like they could be caught out. If they try and make things physical and really get in their faces, however, they’ll be much better off. They’ll be well aware of the fact that they probably need to win this game courtesy of Inter playing PSV, although for the sake of this prediction, we’re going to reveal that we believe PSV will snatch a draw against the Italian side.

That should leave the door open for Spurs to claim their spot in the next round, but we also happen to think things won’t exactly go to plan for them either. We’re predicting Tottenham to take the lead early on through a set piece, before sitting back on the lead which is the worst thing they could possibly do. They’ll invite the pressure on from Barca who will come forward at will, before scoring two late goals of their own to win the game 2-1. That’ll knock Spurs out of the Champions League, forcing them down into the Europa League – where they could potentially meet rivals Arsenal somewhere down the line.