UEFA Champions League 2017/18: Five teams to watch out for
The 2017/2018 Champions League is already shaping up to be an exciting one given the influx of new faces. One team will feature in the competition for the very first time in their short history, while there are some fallen giants who will look to get back amongst the elite.
Here are the five teams you need to watch out for next season in the Champions League.
Spurs
They might’ve fallen short in the Premier League again this season, but Spurs’ emergence as an elite team in England has been extraordinary. Built with a core of talented, young, homegrown players and coached by the driven Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have become the most exciting team in England. The hard work and organisational qualities instilled by Pochettino are well complemented by their counter-attacking and creative smarts.
Their strength may lie in collective cohesiveness, but Spurs’ individual array of talent will be keen to shine on the biggest stage of them all. Dele Alli especially, the golden boy of English football, must continue his progression and there is no better place for that than the Champions League.
Alli’s sharp, incisive play off the frontline has been a constant feature of Spurs’ attack in their rise to the top. Leading that line is Harry Kane, who claimed the Golden Boot in the Premier League for the second successive season – a feat not achieved since 2013 by Robin van Persie.
At the back, meanwhile, Spurs will be a difficult nut to crack. Hugo Lloris is a solid presence in goal while their backline has a settled nature to it. Pochettino knows his team have disappointed in Europe in the past, and this season they must deliver once and for all after establishing themselves as a genuine Premier League force.