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The big day for Tottenham Hotspurs in the Champions League is hours away. They have an edge going into the second leg with 2 vital away goals, but it is the thinnest of leads against a heavy Juventus side.
Can they make the most of it? Here's a look at the top three factors weighing for and against them:
The Pros:
1. Form: Tottenham is the only premier league team yet to lose a game in the year 2018. They have managed to oust Chelsea out of the Top 4, and have even gained a 5 point lead over them on the highly sought after Champions League Spot. They have defeated both Manchester United and Arsenal recently, and are in flaming hot form coming in.
2. Topping the most difficult Champions League group: When the groups were drawn in August, there weren't many who believed that Spurs would qualify to the next stage, let alone topping the group.
After all, this was the team which crashed out of a relatively easy group last season, and immediately got out from Europa League as well. But they turned their underdog tag into an advantage and came out top of the group - beating both the Champions Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on their way.
3. Temporary Home: The 'Wembley Hoodoo', as it was allegedly referred to in the beginning of the season is now virtually non-existent for Spurs. They have just lost only one out of the 15 Premier League games there (the first game against Chelsea).
So, albeit temporary, they can confidently call Wembley their home and will definitely enjoy the home advantage in their fortress.
The cons:
1. Juventus' form: Spurs will have to hold off Juventus, who have been the undisputed champions of Italy over the past 7 years - and it is no mean feat. Though they are currently second in Serie A, it is more of a testament to how good Napoli have currently been, rather than a dip by Juventus.
The gap is currently just one point and with a game in hand, Juventus are still favorites to regain the top spot come the end of season. Juventus have won their last 10 Serie A games on the trot, conceding just once during the process.
2. Champions League Experience: Though Spurs are in the UEFA Champions League for the second successive season, their previous outing was not the best of experiences. Almost all of their young squad will feel the enormous pressure of the game, where stakes were high compared to the group stage fixtures and every single mistake can get punished.
On the other hand, Juventus are Champions League regulars and play the knockouts season in season out. They have the experience and skill to cope with the pressure. After all, they were the last year finalists and will be looking forward to using this to their advantage.
3. Juventus Away Record: Juventus has lost just one game away from home so far in the Serie A, one more to Barcelona in the group stages of this year's CL and are yet to lose an away game this year. It goes to show how good they are at winning games in not so familiar territories.
For the home fans, a nervous game awaits. For the away fans, a hopeful game lies ahead. For the neutrals, a cracking game lies in store.
