Tottenham vs Juventus LIVE: Champions League round-of-16 second leg!
After claiming a 2-2 draw in Turin, can Spurs knockout Juventus at Wembley to reach the quarter-finals? Follow all the action
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Tottenham host Juventus in their second-leg Champions League clash, with this tie perfectly poised for either side to progress to the quarter-finals, though Tottenham to have the invaluable advantage of two away goals.
Prior to the visit of Tottenham in February, Juventus were yet to concede in 2018, though Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen successfully broke that feat as Spurs came back from 2-0 down to record a historic result and provide a platform for quarter-final progression.
Juventus, who currently sit one point off the summit of Serie A with a game in hand on Napoli, have been in outstanding form in the 2017/18 campaign, conceding a league low 15 goals.
An early goal, or two, will be of paramount importance if Juventus are to successfully progress to the quarter finals, with Spurs fully aware that a 0-0 or 1-1 draw would see them through. The onus is very much on Massimiliano Allegri’s side to attack in this tie, though with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain within their ranks, they are equipped with the players to cause damage to Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Follow the game with our live blog:
Match preview
What time does it start?
Tottenham vs Juventus kicks off at 19.45pm
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on BT Sport from 19.45pm.
It’s a big game for…
Harry Kane. Tottenham’s talisman has been in sparkling form for Spurs in 2017/18, and is currently the joint second highest goalscorer in the Champions League (7). Pochettino’s tactics will be defensively orientated on Wednesday night, though Kane has the opportunity to bury any early concern and put Spurs ahead in the tie - if he is able to get an early goal, Spurs are extremely likely to progress
Best stat:
With nine goals in his first nine Champions League appearances, Harry Kane became the first ever player to score nine goals in their first nine UCL appearances, and he will be looking to make it 10 in 10 on Wednesday night.
Remember when…
Juventus and Tottenham played out an exhilarating 2-2 draw in the first leg of this tie, relive the goals, drama and best moments.
Player to watch…
Gonzalo Higuain. After having scored two first half goals against Spurs in the first-leg, Gonzalo Higuain will be looking to add to his tally and replicate his strong domestic form that has seen him move to 6th in the Serie A goalscoring charts with 14 in 2017/18. If any player has a chance of sending Juventus through to the quarter-finals, Higuain could be the man for Allegri, and he could yet play a vital role in Juventus progressing in the competition.
Past two meetings:
Juventus 2 (Higuain 2) Tottenham 2 (Kane, Eriksen) Champions League, February 2018
Tottenham 2 (Kane, Eriksen) Juventus 0, Friendly, August 2017
Form guide…
Tottenham: WDDWWW
Juventus: WWWDWW
Odds…
Tottenham to win: 6/5
Juventus to win: 12/5
Draw: 12/5
Good evening and welcome to Wembley for The Independent's live coverage of the Champions League Last 16 Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Here's a reminder of how it stands ahead of kick-off.
Tonight's tie is poised delicately at two apiece after a thrilling draw at the Allianz Stadium a month ago. Yet how Tottenham find themselves on level terms is still a mystery for many; the Premier League side fell two goals behind inside the opening nine minutes in Turin and looked beaten before a Harry Kane goal, a Gonzalo Higuain missed penalty and a Christian Eriksen free-kick brought them back from the brink.
Spurs will need more of that flair and fight this evening if they are to finish the job and make the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
We'll also have updates from the Etihad Stadium where Manchester City have the comfort of a four-goal cushion as they entertain Basel.
Europe's two form teams* meet at Wembley this evening...
...something has got to give.
*excluding Fulham.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking to BT Sport ahead of kick-off about the size of tonight's task...
I think we arrive with good momentum. We are in good form, but the reality is today is different.
Against a team like Juventus, you cannot start a game like we did in Turin.
Going forward and trying to win the game is our objective tonight.
With ten minutes to go until kick-off at Wembley, let's check in on the kids in Manchester...
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