'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Two rounds of group games have been played and Spurs have actually won their matches against Borussia Dortmund at the Wembley and APOEL Nicosia away from home. Spurs' makeshift home ground has been a difficult place for the Lilywhites in the league, but they dispelled all that in Europe when taking on the Germans.
For Spurs, qualifying from the groups to the round of 16 would be an achievement given that they are in the toughest group of the lot. With the likes of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the same group, no-one really gave Spurs much of a chance.
However, after winning against the Ruhr outfit, people may have started to take them seriously. There is also a chance that they could do what Porto did in 2004 when Jose Mourinho's men won the Champions League against all odds.
And here are 5 reasons as to why Spurs could win the Champions League...
#5 Well-prepared to qualify from the group of death
Okay, first and foremost, Spurs must qualify from the group stages to win the Champions League – no s**t, Sherlock – and that seems to be the hardest aspect for the Lilywhites. They are up against the giants, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, and APOEL Nicosia.
So, there’s that. When the groups were announced, most fans were of the opinion that the White Hart Lane outfit have already been eliminated from the competition. However, let’s be frank here: Dortmund aren’t really as strong as before.
And now they have also lost Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona, further weakening their attack. With the squad that Spurs have now, it is safe to claim that the North London club are a little stronger than the Germans.
Do you want proof? Go and watch Spurs smashing Dortmund 3-1 at Wembley and Real Madrid cruising past them at the Signal Iduna Park.
20 days before the transfer window deadline, this wasn’t the case. Now, however, the story is entirely different with some…
#4 Fine late additions
For the first 6 weeks of the transfer window, Spurs were the only Premier League club that didn’t sign a player. It got to such a point where the fans would have gone gaga with joy even if they signed a beer-belly no-gooder for their first-team.
And then Spurs broke their transfer record to acquire the signature of Davinson Sanchez, but they didn’t stop there – they went on to make four more signings and completely took their squad to another level.
First Sanchez, then Paulo Gazzaniga, Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente. With these five signings, Spurs have strengthened their defence and attack.
They are also expected to complete a move for Everton’s Ross Barkley in January, which would also add bite to their midfield.
#3 Wembley antithesis in the Champions League
Now, now, hear me out here, Wembley is a curse for Tottenham Hotspur. Yes, I understand that. They have not won at the Wembley in the Premier League so far this season, but let’s not kid ourselves and believe that it shall remain the case for the rest of the season.
Wembley is Spurs’ home ground now, so they are bound to get the hang of it some way or the other. And the way they are playing of late, it looks like they will get used to the environment of Wembley sooner rather than later.
While the theory of English teams raising their game at Wembley makes sense (it's the national stadium after all), the same cannot be said of the other teams who come to England.
That’s when Pochettino’s men will be at their best – and that will help them in Europe as well.
#2 No pressure
When the groups were announced, almost all Spurs fans gave up while the rest of the lot were just laughing at the North London club. Of course, they are lined up with the big ones of football, but that might actually work in their favour.
For one, Spurs now don’t have any pressure to qualify for the round of 16 since no fan really expects them to finish top two in a group consisting of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. With no pressure on them, the players can play for the sake of enjoyment – and, sometimes, it reaps the best reward.
Spurs players could be like those new kids that go to school for the first time and enjoy their life as they slide down the slides and fly up and down on the see-saw. Ah, good days… those childhood moments are now like forgone dreams.
But it was a dream that we all once lived – who’s to say Spurs can’t?
#1 Poch factor
I have obsessed over Pochettino’s work for far so long that it might seem like I consider him a superhuman. Well, who knows, he might, but what one can’t deny is his contribution to the Lilywhites.
Ever since he has taken over the North London outfit, it feels as though he has turned a desert into a green-land. In his first season, Spurs finished fifth, but the improvement was apparent. In his second season, he engineered Spurs to a third place finish after being the only club that put some sort of pressure on the eventual champions, Leicester City.
And then, last season, Tottenham finished second – and were the only real challengers to Chelsea. Spurs’ performance in the Champions League last season didn’t earn them any brownie points, but this season could be a bit different due to their consistent improvement and better squad.
And there’s Poch to handle this squad.
