Thursday, 3:45am
Tottenham v Real Madrid
H 3.25, D 3.85, A 2.25
Tottenham is anxious about the fitness of leading scorer Harry Kane ahead of Real Madrid’s visit today [Thursday, 3:45am] in a game that could decide the winner of Group H.
The teams are equal with seven points after three matches, having drawn 1-1 at the Bernabeu two weeks ago, but this time Spurs might be without Kane.
The England striker missed Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday with a hamstring injury and his absence resulted in a limited attacking display from Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup.
Madrid is experiencing domestic struggles of its own. It fell eight points behind La Liga leader Barcelona after a surprising 2-1 loss to Girona on Sunday.
However, both Tottenham and Madrid can play with the comfort of a six-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund and Apoel, and either team can advance to the knockout stage if it wins.
Manchester United and Manchester City will be aiming to extend their perfect group stage records. A win for United against Benfica at Old Trafford could secure progression from Group A, while City can do the same with a win at Napoli in Group F.
Chelsea and Liverpool also sit atop their groups, though with less of a cushion. The Blues can take a big step toward qualification just by avoiding defeat at Roma in Group C, while Liverpool must cash in on its Group E clash against NK Maribor at Anfield today, with sterner tests to come from Spartak Moscow and Sevilla.
This could be Napoli’s year in Serie A, and it might be affecting its Champions League campaign.
After six years of domination by Juventus, the Italian league title is a tight contest. Napoli beat Sassuolo 3-1 on Sunday to remain three points ahead of Juventus atop the standings.
It was a 10th win in 11 league matches for Maurizio Sarri’s side, which has only dropped points in a draw against Inter.
Next up is the visit of Group F leader Manchester City in the Champions League today, and Sarri admits his players are focusing more on domestic matters than Europe’s elite club competition.
“It’s the most important club competition in the world, so being a part of it is something to be proud of,” Sarri said. “It’s also natural that in the minds of the players they focus more on the competition they’ve got a better chance at, but we must be eager to challenge ourselves against the best and right now Manchester City is the best side in the world.” MDT/AP
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