Tottenham projected XI at Juventus: Pochettino goes conservative

Striker-Harry Kane

There’s zero suspense about who will lead Tottenham’s line in this fixture. Harry Kane is an absolute lock to start this match unless he’s beset by illness or injury.

This might be the biggest single challenge of Kane’s career. To say that Juventus have a stingy defense would be a massive understatement. Slipping one goal by Gigi Buffon would be one of the biggest accomplishments of Kane’s life. It could also be the one thing that gets Spurs past The Old Lady and into the Champions League’s next round.

Attacking midfielder-Dele Alli

Dele will serve as the top of the diamond in this match. That doesn’t mean he’s going to stay locked in a central role for all 90 minutes, but it’s at least where he will begin the match.

Ultimately, his positioning will be largely affected by how Juventus choose to mark him. If they focus a ton of energy on keeping him off the ball, he’ll drift out wide to create space for others. If they chose to give him time and space on the ball, he will burst forward and try to wreak havoc on The Old Lady’s back line.

Attacking midfielder-Heung-Min Son

In sharp contrast to Dele, Son will begin this match playing out wide. His primary directive will be to make sure the Spurs attack doesn’t become too bogged down in the middle of the pitch.

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You can safely expect either a feast or famine out of the Korean attacker in this match. He has the talent and opportunity to torment the formidable Juventus defense. On the other hand, it’s very possible they will mark him out of the match entirely. Son’s level of impact on the match may be a true bellwether for how Tottenham are performing.