ClapThe strength of schedule in the UEFA Champions League is up there with the majority of competitions in all of sports, and that much is obvious. There are no easy games throughout the continent of Europe and while some teams may be viewed as minnows, that’s rarely the case once the whistle finally blows.
Two clubs who certainly cannot be viewed as minnows are Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich. The German side are well known for being one of the most consistent teams in European competition, whereas Spurs are coming off the back of a season in which they reached the UEFA Champions League Final.
Last night, however, as reported by BBC and The Telegraph, there was a gulf of quality between them as Bayern ran out 7-2 winners on a shocking night in North London.
Reality check
Son Heung-min actually gave Spurs an early lead following a thrilling opening 10 minutes. Then, once Joshua Kimmich equalised, the worry was that the flood gates would open.
It actually didn’t go down like that and Lewandowski was only able to put the visitors into the lead just before the half time interval, leaving many to wonder whether or not Tottenham could bounce back.
Two quick goals from Serge Gnabry, the former Arsenal star, seemed to confirm that they were in a spot of bother, before Harry Kane pulled one back from the penalty spot. Gnabry wound up adding a fifth to secure his hat-trick, before a nice Bayern move was finished off by Lewandowski.
Gnabry scored another to make it seven, on the kind of night that reiterates just how much trouble Tottenham are in right now.
“When you receive this type of result, it’s important to believe in yourself,” Pochettino said.
“That is the only way to recover the good feeling.”
“It’s a tough situation, but you have to face it,” said Pochettino. “You have to be strong and keep going. We have to stay together and help each other. The best medicine is to be all together.”
Open your eyes
“We dominated the game in the first 30 minutes,” said Pochettino.
“We were unlucky we were conceded at the end of the first half and after that they were very clinical.
“After we scored the penalty for 4-2, we had chances to score a third and be in the game. It’s a tough result. It’s hard to accept. In football it happens when the opponent has the quality and is very clinical in front of goal.”
The need for structure and the need for some answers is quite clear for everyone to see, and it’s about time that Spurs mix things up. If they don’t then even the idea of finishing in the top four is going to come across as a little bit laughable, and worse than that, Pochettino himself could be in trouble.
That sounds over the top given the work he has done at the club over the course of the last few years, but let’s face it, they need to be in a position where they are winning trophies – and at this moment in time, they aren’t even close.
