Xavi Simons will be among the players to watch as Tottenham Hotspur host Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League
The Champions League returns to N17 as Tottenham Hotspur play host to Villarreal under the lights tomorrow. It is a date on the fixture list that all the North Londoners’ supporters would have been counting days to ever since that UEFA Champions League fixture date came out. And the day is finally here when Cristian Romero will lead his men out that tunnel with that UCL music hitting the speakers.
But while there are a lot of emotions that go into it, the North Londoners will know that there is a game to win. And there are a few key duels that could influence the outcome of the game, and we try to have a look at three of them.
3 Key Duels for Tottenham vs Villarreal
Djed Spence vs Nicolas Pepe
Spence will likely start on that left defensive flank come tomorrow, and he looks like one of the players who has been performing brightly for the North Londoners for some time now. But with Udogie returning from his injury, the now England international has to keep his form. And this test against former Arsenal winger Pepe could go a long way in determining his long-term role in that LB position.
When it comes to the defensive side of things, Spence will have to stay on his toes all the time. Given how Pepe likes to drift into half-spaces and isolate full-backs one-on-one. And we all know the Ivorian’s trademark move of cutting inside onto his left foot for a curled effort, and this is something Spence must shut down the line and then rely on Van de Ven to cover the inside channel.
But his position is not going to be only about defending. If Spence ends up going on overlap runs every time Simons stages on the inwards, it can pin Pepe quite deeper and force him to defend (something Marcelino would not like).
So for Spence, he has to bring that balance of defensive awareness alongside his own attacking instincts. And for Tottenham, Spence can help not only neutralise Villarreal’s most dangerous forward but also create overloads on that flank.
By the looks of it on paper, this duel can end up being very critical in the outcome of the game.
Lucas Bergvall vs Dani Parejo
This duel in the midfield shall be more fascinating given how there are two midfielders with very different ways of having their influence on the game rubbing shoulders. It will be a teenager who will be playing his first Champions League game against one of Europe’s most experienced midfielders in that role.
If I am speaking about those differences in playing style, we know that the Swede likes to play more in a vertical structure. This is where he can make those forward carries and then. Get into quick linkups before those sudden bursts of acceleration that we are used to seeing from him.
Then in Parejo you have someone who is a master of dictating tempo. He likes to slow the game down, and then he tries drawing younger opponents into traps with subtle positioning.
Frank will likely task Bergvall with staying aggressive in pressing Parejo. This will be with a mindset to try to get the better of the visitor’s rhythm and prevent him from feeding the likes of Moleiro and Pepe. But Bergvall needs to be smart; we have seen so many experienced midfielders fall for Parejo’s feints and disguised passes to evade a pressing midfielder.
Tottenham needs to make sure that Parejo doesn’t dictate terms in that second phase.
Xavi Simons vs Santiago Mourino
Simons is someone who has the capacity to become a wild card for Tottenham in these games. Given the Dutchman’s ability to pull a moment of magic out of absolutely nothing, he can give Thomas Frank’s side a way out even when the system stalls.
And his duel with Mourino feels more like a mismatch in terms of experience and skill. But it is one that could shape the night. Given how Simons loves receiving the ball between the lines and then drifting inside from the outside on the left before either going on to slipping clever passes or finding spaces to have a go himself. Mourino will have to make sure that he can contain and confront him without giving him a lot of space to express himself.
So it will be dangerous if the visitor’s right-back mistimes his tackles/interceptions, given how it leaves gaps for the likes of Richarlison or Kudus to exploit (be it from the outside or down the middle spaces).
But if Villarreal double up, which then forces Simons wide and cuts off his run-ins into those inside lanes, they can restrict his influence.
