Coming into the first leg of the Champions League fixture between Juventus and Tottenham,  many of us were surprised to see Tottenham go toe to toe with the Italian Giants. The Bianconeri, are a formidable opponent for any club, seemed to be caught back at times during the eventual 2-2 draw between both teams. With the second leg being held at Wembley in London, one feels that the pendulum is shifting ever so slightly in the Spurs direction. 

Juventus has spent around $140M since the 2017 summer transfer period, and are in a similar position to that of an underachieving PSG. Success is judged differently for both of these clubs, as they sit comfortably atop both of their respective leagues. In the last 5 years, PSG has won 4 out of the 5 Ligue 1 titles in France, absolutely dominating teams with their exquisite play, but with their checkbooks as well. Juventus has won the Series A title 6 years and running, which is a staggering stat that ultimately alters the perspective of a successful campaign for them. With a domestic league championship almost a given for them recently, attention has shifted heavily towards a UEFA Champions League trophy that has evaded them since 1996. An exit at this stage of the tournament would no doubt be catastrophic for Turin club as it was for the Parisians.

Tottenham on the other hand, enter the match without any of the heavy expectation that plagues their opponents. They are in every sense of the word, over-achieving, in not only their progression in the tournament, but also their ability to stay “Top Four” in the English Premier League. This is a feat they have yet to accomplish as a club, and simply cannot be understated given the completion level in the EPL. Since the 1960-1961 Tottenham have yet to win an English League Cup and have nowhere close to the Champions League clout of a Juventus. Tottenham should instead be relishing the opportunity to take a step forward and continue demonstrating to the footballing world that they belong at this level. Read more on Tottenham coach Pochettino thoughts going into the fixture.