



The final review of the first four Champions League matches. In London the Germans were victorious in a 1-0 contest. With so much to discuss regarding this duel let's get into it.





Tottenham 0 x 1 Leipzig





The amount of pressure that Julian Nagelsmann's side put on Spurs within the first five minutes of the match was unreal and that was a preview of what was to come throughout most of the 90 minutes.





The high pressing from Leipzig suffocated Totenham's backline and made for a quick recovery of the ball from the visiting side.





Harry Winks and Gedson Fernandes couldn't really get involved in the game and without a target man that could hold the ball it was equally tough to do any damage playing long passes to escape the press.





It felt to me like the ideal game for Ndombele because of his ability to retain the ball and get out of tough situations but he hasn't really played up to his own standards in his first season in London, but I still would've picked him over Gedson Fernandes.





Based on the amount of chances that Leipzig created they should've won by more than just a single goal. In fact if you consider that they only scored in one of the most bizarre penalties I have ever seen, it's mind-blowing that Nagelsmann's men didn't convert at least one of the many chances they created.





Schick had clear opportunities as did Werner, it felt like Angeliño broke the record for most attempts by a wingback in a single match. Probably the player most responsible for this result was Hugo Lloris, the French keeper once again came through in the biggest stage making a number of spectacular saves and if Werner doesn't take the perfect penalty the game stays 0-0.





Looking at the visiting side's starting eleven and more specifically their bench with technical players like Dani Olmo and Emil Forsberg it became clear that Nagelsmann was going for an agressive approach, Nkunku and Werner behind Schick bringing in a lot of speed to really put pressure on Tottenham's defence.





Looking forward to the second leg, it's all still wide open. While Leipzig has a significant advantage, it's important to point out that the 1-0 result away from home it's the only one where the losing side actually gets the away goal advantage. Any 1 goal win whether it's 2-1, 3-2 actually benefits Tottenham.





I can't imagine seeing Leipzig playing too cautiously at home, we'll have to see if they can repeat their performance in London and if so can they be more clinical. With Bergwijn and Lucas on the counter looking at how the second leg is setup based on the first leg result this can be a very dangerous match for Leipzig.





The German's production was off the charts and made Spurs uncomfortable but they can't afford to miss as many chances as they did, if they are to make a run in the competition.





Tottenham need to find a way to get the ball out of a dangerous area when Leipzig presses high on the pitch. They have no target man, it will be up to the defensive midfielders to make sure that the ball reaches the attacking players.

Despite his lackluster performances I'd strongly consider Ndombele for the match, maybe a trident on the midfield with Winks, Lo Celso and the French midfielder trying to overload that area. Instead of throwing Lucas in the middle of the three centre-backs I'd use him as a winger with Bergwijn or maybe Lamela on the other side and Dele Alli dropping in the midfield to create a diamond. Let me know what you think of that idea.





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