Juventus vs Tottenham - The key battle in Tuesday's Champions League tie

Tottenham have already beaten Juventus this term, admittedly in a pre-season friendly, but head coach Mauricio Pochettino can take solace from already overcoming their upcoming Champions League opponents. Spurs, though, will have their hands full in Turin when these two face off on Tuesday. 

The Old Lady started the campaign slowly, but she’s gained a head of steam. As has been well-documented, Juventus have conceded one goal in their last 16 competitive matches, that courtesy of former defender Martin Caceres in a 3-1 win over Verona. 

Their defensive solidity is rivaled perhaps only by Atletico Madrid at present, but it’s a certainty that Tottenham will have their work cut out to break down Juventus’ resolve. Harry Kane will again be the main man for the Premier League outfit, but it’s those behind the star forward that have a key role to play. 

Christian Eriksen has the tools to unlock any defence on his day and while he has scored just one goal and registered one assist in the Champions League this season, a return of 2.8 key passes per game ranks among the top-10 players in the competition so far. Indeed, he is Spurs’ creator in chief, but one that works well off the ball to pressure opposition defences to help forge chances for his side. 

Juventus aren’t without their inventive stars, of course, with Miralem Pjanic their midfield lynchpin. A return of 1.8 key passes per game may be lower than Eriksen, but the Bosnian is one of the best in his position and, on his day, can turn a match in Juventus’ favour in the blink of an eye. 

He too is a solid performer off the ball, as returns of 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per Champions League game suggests, and while he doesn’t operate as high up the pitch as Eriksen, Pjanic’s ability to dictate the tempo of matches from deep is comfortably his strongest asset. 

His influence in the middle of the park, in both creating for teammates and denying opponents, means Pjanic will again be a key man for Juventus, though it’s vital he not merely rest on home advantage to ensure the Serie A champions earn a key victory. A failure to keep Eriksen in check may hinder Juventus in their bid to overcome Spurs and secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.