Spurs are returning to the premier European competition this season for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign, and will be in pot three in the draw for the group stage.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League
Tuesday night’s Champions League qualifier results confirmed Tottenham’s presence in pot three of the draw for the group stages.
Roma’s inability to knock Porto out – the Italians had two players sent off and went on to lose the second leg 3-0 despite being at home – and Manchester City’s huge advantage over Steaua Bucharest ahead of the return leg in Manchester, means the North Londoners are definitely among the third teams set to be drawn and allocated into groups in Thursday’s draw in Monaco.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino’s men needed both the Italian and Romanian clubs to win their ties, so even in the unlikely event Steaua defeat Pep Guardiola’s City side, Spurs’ place in the draw is already certain.
It means the club can draw two of Europe’s top clubs, with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid (who boast former favourite Gareth Bale of course) and Bayern Munich in pot one and powerhouses Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in pot two.
Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale celebrates scoring with Cristiano Ronaldo
Of course, Spurs will be the pot three team that all clubs would hope to avoid, with by far the highest co-efficient of that group.
Below we have prepared the best and worst case scenarios for the draw for Spurs, let us know what you think in the comments section below:
Best case draw
Of the eight sides in pot one, Russian champions CSKA Moscow are surely the weakest available team, even if the trip is one of the longest available in the group stages. In the second pot, things are arguably just as tough, with Bayer Leverkusen perhaps weaker than the alternatives, but still capable of challenging most sides. It is only in the fourth pot that things get easier, with Ludogorets Razgrad, or the winner from FC Copenhagen and APOEL, representing weaker leagues.
CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
Ludogorets Razgrad
Worst case draw
Pick any of the three pot one powerhouses Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and Spurs will be feeling sorry for themselves. If we take Real purely because they’re the defending champions, allowing for Borussia Dortmund, who defeated Spurs so comprehensively last season, to be drawn in the second pot. Turkish side Besiktas have also beaten Spurs in recent years, and the away trip to Istanbul would not be one the club would look forward to.
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Tottenham Hotspur
Besiktas
Tottenham’s Erik Lamela and Harry Kane will hope to inspire their club to success in Europe this season
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