Spurs have now performed their two hardest away video games, together with the defeat to Sporting Lisbon final outing, however they’re underneath strain to beat the Portuguese aspect and Frankfurt at residence, whereas a visit to Marseille will show no gimme after their 4-1 win over Sporting earlier on Tuesday.
After a prickly pre-match look, through which he fiercely defended his choice selections and techniques, Conte would possibly take encouragement from a extra optimistic efficiency, which noticed his aspect have loads of the ball however constantly fluff their ultimate cross.
However this show was not precisely a vindication for the Spurs head coach — who once more resisted rotated and named an unchanged XI from Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal — and raised extra questions on his 3-4-3 system.
The guests had been the extra optimistic aspect at a rocking Deutsche Financial institution Park and create a string of possibilities and half-chances, usually with slick strikes within the ultimate third.
In widespread with the 3-1 reverse on the Emirates, nonetheless, their ultimate ball was too usually lacking, and this was one other recreation once they sorely missed Dejan Kulusevski, who was sidelined once more with a hamstring drawback.
A entrance three of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Richarlison had been all clunky in possession and lacking a medical edge when possibilities did come their means.
Son was the liveliest of the three however his contact and ending had been means off, suggesting a surprising hat-trick within the 6-2 win over Leicester has not kickstarted his troublesome marketing campaign, as hoped.
Richarlison was equally careless on the ball, though did arrange the South Korean both aspect of half-time. For the primary Son’s cross was too far forward of Kane and he fired the second opening huge.
Kane and Son noticed near-post efforts blocked, whereas Ivan Perisic dribbled a deflected effort huge.
Conte had advised pre-match that he might change to a 3-5-2 system, with Yves Bissouma coming into the midfield on the expense of 1 the forwards, and maybe this may have made extra sense in Kulusevski’s absence.
Dejan Kulusevski’s absence is proving expensive for Tottenham
/ Tottenham Hotspur FC through Getty PicturesThe Italian admitted that it’s simpler to play his most popular 3-4-3 system when the Swede is accessible and it certainly price attempting a unique method if he’s nonetheless not match for Saturday’s go to to Brighton.
With out their link-man between midfield and assault, and the participant most able to selecting out a killer cross, Spurs merely don’t operate as easily, and their largest weapons are too usually rendered blunt.
