The knockout stages of 2018/19 Champions League campaign are finally upon us and will offer us with some exciting fixtures this midweek, the pick of which will be Borussia Dortmund’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Lilywhites are coming on the back of three successive wins in the league but will be coming up against a Dortmund side, who have been one of the best performing teams in Europe this season.
Here are three key battles that could decide the outcome of this mouthwatering fixture this week.
#3 Kyle Walker-Pieters vs Achraf Hakimi
Tottenham Hotspur will be missing out on the services of Ben Davies through injury while Danny Rose is also a doubt after missing Tuesday’s training session.
As a result, coach Mauricio Pochettino might deploy Kyle Walker-Pieters in the left-back position and the young defender might face Achraf Hakimi.
The Moroccan international will shift to his customary right-back position, in the expected absence of Lukasz Piszczek, and his pace and tenacity on the flanks could cause Tottenham a lot of problems.
Walker-Pieters, therefore, will look to keep an eye on the Real Madrid loanee and minimise his influence on the game.
#2 Moussa Sissoko/Harry Winks vs Thomas Delaney/Axel Witsel
We could be witnessing a potential mismatch in midfield as the duo of Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks brace themselves for a stern test against the sensational midfield couple of Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney.
Both the Dortmund midfielders have been in terrific form this season and their tenacity and urgency in midfield will certainly put pressure on the rather fragile midfield combination of Winks and Sissoko, the performance of who will go a long way in depicting the outcome of this game.
However, Pochettino will hope to have Eric Dier back in contention after the England international missed the game against Leicester City last weekend.
#1 Son Heung-Min vs Abdou Diallo
Borussia Dortmund will be boosted by the return of Dan-Axel Zagadou this week, who could replace Julian Weigl at the heart of the backline.
However, the onus will be on Abdou Diallo, who will be tasked with the responsibility of leading the Dortmund backline as they look to keep out the dangerous Son Heung-Min.
The South Korean international has been in terrific form after returning from international break, notably scoring in each of his last three league games. And with Kane injured, he will definitely remain the focal point of the Spurs attack, thus being the main threat for the visitors this week.