Tottenham must lean on pragmatism against Real Madrid

If there’s a winning gameplan for Tottenham against Real Madrid, it likely isn’t going to look like their classic high-pressing style.

One might argue that the best Tottenham have looked this season came in the 4-0 win over Huddersfield before the most recent international break. It was 90 minutes wherein Pochettino philosophy naturally dovetailed perfectly with the talents of his team, and the result was truly scintillating.

It was a performance only diminished by the fact that their opponent on the day was Huddersfield, just recently promoted to the top of English football after 45 years in the lower divisions.

If we want to really strike a balance between Spurs’ style and the quality of their performance, we must look no further than the 3-1 over Dortmund. That should serve as more of a template for Tuesday than beating up on some Premier League minnow.

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Pochettino abandoned his gameplan for that match, opting instead to have his defense sit deep and crowd the midfield in front of them.

Spurs’ usual pressing was there, but it wasn’t so intense as to pull the team apart in areas where Dortmund would be looking to exploit. It was as rigid as the team has every played under Pochettino, and it successfully limited their prolific guests to only a single goal.

The key to all of that, though, came higher up the pitch. The individual talents of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane made this a tactical set that wasn’t merely defensive. They hung off the shoulders of a too-slow Dortmund defense and chased down every ball Spurs recovered from midfield and defense.

There is no reason that Pochettino should not utilize the same tactics against Real. Like Dortmund, they are going to think they can take the game to Spurs. As that wave crashes against Tottenham’s backline, space will open up on the opposite end of the pitch for Son and Kane to combine for chances on Real’s goal.

It’s not a gameplan without risks. If Real find a way to break through and score early, Pochettino will need to change the complexion of the side quickly and dramatically to find an equalizer.

Next: Rose and Dembélé in contention for Real Madrid

Even still, an approach similar to that used against Dortmund represents Spurs best chance to get out of Madrid with some kind of result.