Tottenham Hotspur will host Group B leader, Bayern Munich, in the best-of-eight Champions League matches set to be played on Tuesday.
Bayern is leading Group B after scoring a 3-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade at home in its Champions League opener, while Tottenham played to a draw against Olympiacos, 2-2, to pick up a point from its first match.
Spurs Building on Recent Champions League Success
Tottenham is looking to put together another strong run in the Champions League after reaching the final last year, only to fall to the eventual champions, Liverpool. Their group draw appears to have them set up to do so: while Bayern is the clear favorite in Group B, Tottenham should finish above Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade.
Grabbing at least a point against Bayern will go a long way toward making the Spurs advancement to the knockout round a bit more secure. According to Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen, another strong performance in the competition is key to keeping up the momentum building in Tottenham in recent years.
“We got to the final, so we want to reach there again,†Vertonghen said in a prematch press conference. “We’ve come a long way, and we shouldn’t forget that. Now I’m getting questions about reaching a Champions League final rather than the Europa group you’ve just mentioned when I joined. We want more, and we’re still very hungry.â€
Bayern is one of the Champions League favorites, and a win away in England would just about remove any doubt that they’ll advance to the knockout stage. Still, manager Nike Kovac, knows that Tottenham poses a threat, singling out striker Harry Kane as a man to watch.
“His quality in the Premier League and England squad speaks for itself,†Kovac told reporters. “He’s sensational and he can do it all. He’s good at holding up, and good with his head. There’s nothing he can’t do.â€
Even on the road, Bayern are being given a good chance to walk away with a win. The visitors are listed at +110 odds to win by FanDuel Sportsbook, with Tottenham at +230 to pull off what would be considered a minor upset.
Juventus Favored at Home vs. Bayer
Another key matchup on Tuesday sees Juventus host German side Bayer Leverkusen. Juventus drew Atletico Madrid to open the group stage, while Bayer opened its Champions League campaign with a surprising loss at home to Lokomotiv Moscow, meaning the Russian side is actually leading the group after one game.
Tuesday Champions League Odds
- Real Madrid (-290) vs. Club Brugge (+700)
- Atalanta (-125) vs. Shakhtar (+320)
- Lokomotiv (+420) vs. Atletico Madrid (-125)
- Tottenham (+230) vs. Bayern Munich (+110)
- Manchester City (-1400) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (+3500)
- Juventus (-170) vs. Leverkusen (+490)
- Crvena Zvezda (+190) vs. Olympiakos (+150)
- Galatasaray (+600) vs. Paris Saint-Germain (-220)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
According to Juventus manager, Maurizio Sarri, his team must be focused on the game to come if they want to ensure they put themselves in position to get out of the group stage.
“Bayer are only one point behind Bayern Munich, and are the Bundesliga team with the best physical qualities,†Sarri told reporters. “It’ll be a hugely difficult contest, and it would be a crazy mistake to think beyond tomorrow.â€
Oddsmakers expect the Italian champions to pick up the three points. Juventus is a -170 home favorite, while Leverkusen (+490) is given long odds of winning or even picking up a draw (+300), meaning they could be left with no points after their first two Champions League matches.
