5 reasons why Tottenham could stun Real Madrid tonight

Zidane Real Madrid Tottenham Kane
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Real Madrid make their first ever trip to Wembley in their storied 115-year-old history, with Tottenham Hotspur welcoming them in a crucial tie that could decide how Group H of the UEFA Champions League turns out.

In most years, this result would be a foregone conclusion, but Madrid's poor form and Tottenham's continuing rise could see us witness a historic night.

Here are 5 reasons why Tottenham could surprise Real Madrid tonight:


#1 Wembley may actually work in Tottenham's favour this time

It's no secret that Spurs have struggled at Wembley this season, losing two of 8 games they have played on home turf. However, when the big guns have come around, Tottenham have raised their game at home - the performances against Liverpool (a 4-1 win) and Borussia Dortmund (a 3-1 win) reveal that the Lilywhites prefer the bigger stage.

Wembley lends itself to that anyway - the hallowed ground is made for big games, and they don't come bigger than Real Madrid. This is arguably Tottenham's most momentous game in recent history - welcoming the most successful club of all time to their home ground is sure to ensure that the sell-out crowd will be a racous one.

Roared on by the 12th man, Tottenham will be full of running tonight - which will work perfectly for Mauricio Pochettino's high-pressing game plan. Wembley's notoriously slow turf will also ensure that the metronomic passing of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric and Isco in midfield can be negated, thus allowing Spurs to thrive in their high-tempo style.

Tottenham Hotspur Training Session
Tottenham Hotspur Training Session

#2 Mauricio Pochettino can outsmart Zinedine Zidane tactically

Much was made of Mauricio Pochettino's poor record away to the top 6 after the Argentinian oversaw a 0-1 loss to Manchester United recently, but the Spurs boss has already shown that he can go toe-to-toe with Zinedine Zidane and Peter Bosz in the UEFA Champions League when it comes to the tactical battle.

The 3-5-2 morphed into a 5-3-2 when Real Madrid amped up the pressure in the first leg, allowing Spurs to sit back and then release Kane on the counter. The presence of Fernando Llorente through Zidane for a loop and Pochettino used him to release and support Kane, in the absence of Dele Alli.

Tottenham's boss has the capability and the bravado to surprise Zidane again, as he's not averse to throwing a youngster into the deep end. At home, with Tottenham expected to take the initiative, Pochettino could also target the wings with a high-press, thus preventing Hakimi and Marcelo from forming an overload for Madrid, as is so often their go-to tactic.

Tottenham Hotspur Training Session
Tottenham Hotspur Training Session

#3 Harry Kane and Dele Alli are back

Pep Guardiola may have described Tottenham Hotspur as a Harry Kane team, but by that logic, Barcelona are a Lionel Messi team, and Real Madrid in Europe are a Cristiano Ronaldo team. The idea that Harry Kane is on their level seems ludicrous at best, but the stats show that the Englishman may very well be forcing plenty of people to eat their words soon enough.

The Spurs striker has it in him to torment Madrid's backline, as the amount of times he shoots, coupled with his conversion rate ought to ensure that the Wembley net will burst atleast once.

It helps that Kane's partner-in-crime Dele Alli also makes his return, as the youngster's high-pressing up the pitch could force Madrid into losing a couple of balls in midfield and could end up in a goal for Kane.

Real Madrid are well aware of the threat that the duo, in addition to Christian Eriksen, pose, but do not have the personnel to thwart them, which may necessitate a change in system.

Real Sociedad v Real Madrid - La Liga
Gareth Bale will look on from the sidelines

#4 Real Madrid's injury woes

At the start of the season, with Real Madrid fresh off of decimating Manchester United in the UEFA Supercup and then Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana, there were plenty of admiring glances at the depth within the Real Madrid squad. Shoehorning Isco, Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale into the same XI would present Zidane a welcome headache.

Things haven't been so simple - Gareth Bale and Keylor Navas will miss this game, which means that Isco and Asensio will most probably continue. The pair have been rather selfish on the pitch, which came in for copious amounts of criticism after the loss to Girona. A repeat performance could see Tottenham capitalize in the middle of the park.

Zidane has more problems at the back - Marcelo looks a shadow of the player he was last season, and is in need of a rest. Sergio Ramos looked error-prone against Girona, although he thrives in big games and might revert to type. Jesus Vallejo and Raphael Varane being ruled out means Nacho will fill in at centre-back, a weakness Kane might exploit. With Hakimi set to start at right-back, things could quickly turn sour for Madrid if Spurs get off to a fast start.

Girona v Real Madrid - La Liga
Girona v Real Madrid - La Liga

#5 Cristiano Ronaldo is misfiring

Despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo was only recently crowned the best player in the world by FIFA, the Portuguese star can consider this start to the season right up there with his worst. He's only scored a single goal and made a solitary assist in La Liga this season, which have spawned plenty of jocular memes on social media. When Sven Ulreich, goalkeeper of Bayern Munich has more assists than you...

The Portuguese superstar has the worst conversion rate in football at the moment, with his 40 shots yielding only a single goal. Perhaps it was the absence of Karim Benzema (who normally drags defenders away for Ronaldo to find more space to shoot), but Madrid's talisman has no excuse tonight.

If things go right for Spurs and they get off to a quick start, the strops and petulance could return to Ronaldo's game, which make him a lesser player. However, whenever he has been questioned in recent memory, Ronaldo has responded, so Spurs need to be wary of a hungry star tonight.

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Edited by Sunaadh Sagar