TOTTENHAM need to be careful not to be mowed down by Timo ‘Turbo’ Werner on Wednesday.
Another team in Leipzig may be called Lokomotive, but it is Julian Nagelsmann’s side who can really motor.
Timo Werner has the pace and skill to hurt Spurs if they don’t keep an eye on himCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Liverpool-target Werner is the second top scorer in the Bundesliga with 20 goals in 22 games and in Germany he is nicknamed ‘Turbo’ Timo, because he is so quick.
The worry for Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is his Serge Aurier often plays like a right-winger and leaves a lot of space behind him.
And Leipzig are one of the top counter-attacking teams around.
Tottenham cannot afford to have big gaps as Werner will look to exploit them and get in behind Aurier.
It is something they have to be very careful with.
As Tottenham are at home, the onus is on them to try to take something to Leipzig.
But that does not mean Mourinho will not set them up as the away team to a certain extent. He will know all about the threat of Werner and Leipzig.
Only Bayern and Dortmund have scored more than them in the Bundesliga and they have failed to hit the target only twice in the German top flight this campaign.
They have a great away record in the league as well, with just two defeats from 11.
Serge Aurier often bombs on and leaves a lot of space in behindCredit: AFP or licensors
Recently, they have been playing a 3-4-3, which really suits Angelino, who has come in from Manchester City at left wing-back.
They can also play a 4-2-2-2, which worked really well for them under Ralph Hasenhuttl, who is now at Southampton. And they are fast starters. Because of their style of play, when they grab a goal, they do tend to go on and dominate.
In the Bundesliga this season, they have scored first 11 times, winning ten and drawing one.
So the early stages of the Champions League last 16 clash in north London could be vital.
What Tottenham cannot afford to do is give up space, especially on the turnover.
They have to be wary, because Leipzig are so good at turning defence into counter-attack very quickly and then taking full advantage.
It is all well and good being attack-minded but there has to be some structure — and it may be Mourinho does not risk selecting Aurier, opting instead for the more defence-minded rookie Japhet Tanganga instead.
On Tuesday, Liverpool are at Atletico Madrid, who are having a terrible time with injuries of late and are in a state of flux.
With the players they have out, you simply have to favour Jurgen Klopp’s all- conquering team.
The one thing Klopp has developed during his time at the club is that they find more than one way to win.
We know how good they are on the counter-attack, but they are also possession-based. They are so solid as well, with nine clean sheets in their past ten Premier League matches.
I see them being successful in the Spanish capital from set-pieces as Atletico looked susceptible to these against Valencia on Friday — and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery is up there with the best in the world.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
