Champions League Preview: Spurs, Leicester
Monaco v Tottenham
Spurs have been sputtering, managing just one win in their Champions League campaign to date after they began their latest European adventure with a loss at Wembley to Monaco. Against the same opposition this week, at the Stade Louis II can the north London side fare any better?
Monaco are top of Group E with 8 points, and only need a draw against Spurs to guarantee their place in the round of 16. But Mauricio Pochettino’s side really need to pick up the pace; they currently sit in third place of the group with four points.
Still, perhaps the English side’s fortunes are improving; Tottenham came back twice against West Ham this past weekend to win 3-2, recording their first victory in eight attempts in all competitions. That run includes a draw and a loss in their last two Champions League matches, with Tottenham having scored a total of just two goals in their four European games to date this season.
Can Spurs take it up a notch against Monaco? Well, the Ligue 1 side have scored 12 goals without conceding in their last three games in all competitions, beating CSKA Moscow 3-0 a couple of weeks ago on home turf.
When Tottenham played away to Monaco last year in the Europa League, the game ended in 1-1. If you’re expecting a similar result this week, you can back the draw at 12/5. But perhaps it’s worth taking a chance on Harry Kane, who nabbed a brace against West Ham on Saturday; Kane is 19/10 to score at any time on Tuesday.
Leicester v Brugge
They might not be cutting it in the Premier League right now, but Leicester City’s first ever foray into the Champions League has worked out rather well so far. Claudio Ranieri’s men host Belgium strugglers Brugge on Tuesday, with the home side requiring just a draw to make it through to the knock-out stages.
Brugge are bottom of the group, without a point; even in their domestic league they’ve not been pulling up any trees, losing four times already this season, though they did manage a win at the weekend. That’s more than can be said for the Foxes, who conceded in the first minute against Watford on Saturday, and eventually lost 2-1.
That’s pretty lousy news for Leicester fans, but if last season was all about their stunning league form, perhaps the Premier League champions can continue to impress in Europe in the current campaign. City beat Brugge 3-0 away from home in their opening Champions League fixture, and it would be an incredible upset if they were to lose at the King Power on Tuesday.
Leicester are 11/25 to win, with the visitors available to win at 7/1. If you’re backing the draw, you can currently get 7/2 on that outcome. Looking beyond the result, Riyad Mahrez has scored three Champions League goals thus far, and is 5/1 to get the opener or 17/10 to score at any time here…
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