Second half Kampl strike prolongs Spurs' Wembley woes

 

This was a game Tottenham needed to win and relatively convincingly if they were to improve their chances of a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League and to boost morale ahead of the daunting trip to the Emirates. However, had their been a script, Bayer Leverkusen did not read it, as Roger Schmidt’s side landed a potentially knockout punch to Spurs’ return to Europe’s elite competition. 

 

If ever a player’s season was summed in a microcosm, it was Christian Eriksen’s lackadaisical first touch around the Tottenham penalty area before playing a terrible hospital chance that Bayer Leverkusen failed to capitalise on. Yet, it was impossible to pick out a top performing Spurs player in the opening half hour as their Bundesliga counterparts came flying out of the blocks to pressure the Premier League side from the outset. 

 

It looked to be a continuation of the reverse fixture as Bayer 04 ended the stalemate at the BayArena as the stronger side and, had it not been for an inspired Hugo Lloris performance, would have ended their lengthy run of draws in the Champions League. The difference in the 0-0 draw last month proved to be the introduction of Julian Baumgartlinger, who replaced the anonymous Hakan Calhanoglu, with it little shock that Austrian kept his place in the side. Roger Schmidt was rewarded for his persistence in Baumgartlinger, who was the highest rated player in the encounter at the interval with a WhoScored rating of 7.3 and ended with a score of 7.84, the second best return. 

 

The 28-year-old’s defensive resilience in the middle of the park meant Spurs struggled to come to terms with Bayer’s high pressing in the opening half hour, with the hosts only really upping their game sufficiently once Mousa Dembele was subbed off for Vincent Janssen. That being said, Baumgartlinger’s influence in the middle of the park allowed for Julian Brandt and Kevin Kampl to attack the Spurs backline from the flanks without having to worry about being caught out when Spurs won the ball in the defensive third.

 

 

At times, Bayer’s formation resembled a 4-2-2-2, with Brandt and Kampl willingly cutting infield in search of space. However, while the attack worked hard to create chances, Spurs did what they could to hold firm at the back, with Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen solid at the back, if for a sloppy start to proceedings. Since Toby Alderweireld’s injury, Dier has started alongside Vertonghen in the league and Champions League and while the former has his moments of madness, that in part due to lapses in concentration, the latter has excelled during his compatriot’s absence and blocked more shots (4) than any other player in the fixture. 

 

Indeed, he was on hand to deny Brandt in the first half following a Kyle Walker mistake, before blocking a Chicharito follow up that seemed destined for the back of the net. Yet, for all of the defensive willpower, it was only a matter of time before Bayer Leverkusen took the initiative as Kampl tucked away from close range. While he was fortunate to have the ball drop to him, there was no denying that Spurs were second best for much of the encounter. 

 

The Premier League side struggled to contain Bayer Leverkusen, who, bar a 15 minute spell following Janssen’s introduction, never really looked like scoring, despite having the ball in the back of the in the dying embers of the first half, only for Dele Alli’s close range effort to be chalked off. The closest they came was Dier crashing a free kick off Bernd Leno’s bar, but even then the north London side looked a shadow of the side that secured a 2-0 win over Manchester City prior to the international break, with their rhythm disrupted when they looked to have found their groove. They Bayer Leverkusen didn't a block a shot to the hosts' seven speaks volumes. Spurs are now in the midst of a six-game winless run, which includes defeats to Liverpool and Bayer 04 in the EFL Cup and Champions League, respectively. 

 

With the north London derby up next for Spurs, the poor form is cause for concern for Mauricio Pochettino, who needed his big game players to step up and prove they deserve to regularly ply their trade in the Champions League. Eriksen was largely anonymous once again, for all of Moussa Sissoko’s drive, he lacked the final ball, and Heung-min Son has gone off the boil on the back of a stunning September. For all of Spurs’ misfortunes in their second European match at Wembley, though, there is no denying that Bayer Leverkusen were worthy victors, with the Bundesliga side ending their drawing run with a much-needed victory in the capital to improve their chances of a place in the next round of the Champions League.


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