Right, that’s it from me. Stick around on site for all the reports and reaction. But for now, cheerio!
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Well, that was a pretty entertaining affair all told. Certainly far more enjoyable than another 0-0 this week.
Peep! PEEP!! PEEEEEEP!!! All over. Spurs pick up what could be a very valuable point in this group. Leverkusen will look back in frustration yet again.
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90+3 min: Brandt’s effort from the edge of the box is scuffed through to Lloris. And that should be just about that.
90+2 min: A solid header from Trippier denies Kiessling in front of goal.
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90+1 min: Three minutes of added time to play, folks.
90 min: Onomah replaces Son, who gets whistled off by the Bayer fans.
89 min: Monaco have equalised against CSKA in the other game in this group.
87 min: Leverkusen will be furious if they fail to nick a winner here. They feel they should have won both their two previous games in this group. This would make it three.
86 min: the substitute Brandt breaks brilliantly from a Spurs corner and feeds Kiessling … who falls over.
85 min: Hernandez off, Brandt on for Leverkusen.
84 min: Kiessling misses a sitter. Kampl again does wonderfully on the left and clips in a cross-shot, which the big striker shins wide from close range.
82 min: Eriksen skips in from the right but can only plant his cross at the otherwise underemployed Leno.
81 min: … which Leverkusen clear after a bit of a scramble.
80 min: Sissoko wins his side a rare corner …
79 min: Excellent defending from Vertonghen as Kampl whips in a delicious cross. Kiessling was loitering with intent at the back post but the Spurs defender did well to get their first.
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77 min: Eriksen almost finds Sissoko but Henrichs does enough to block the former Newcastle man. Spurs have improved in the past few minutes.
75 min: A superb challenge from Rose on the edge of the area denies Kiessling as he lines up an effort. But at the other end Jedvaj gets back quickly to deny Eriksen.
74 min: Leverkusen make their second change – Bender goes off, Jedvaj comes on. The captain had been struggling with injury in the buildup to this game, so that probably explains a like-for-like switch at right-back at this stage.
73 min: And they survive again, but only just. Lloris flaps at a corner and the ball drops to Toprak, who chests down but pokes well wide under pressure.
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72 min: In the other game, I should mention, CSKA lead Monaco 1-0. So as it stands, four teams will be on four points, with Bayer bottom on three. Still 20 minutes for Spurs to survive though.
71 min: Sissoko replaces Lamela as Tottenham look to wrest some semblance of control from the hosts.
70 min: Aranguiz slips as he looks to clip a free-kick at goal. Into the Spurs wall.
69 min: … won cleanly by Toprak five yards out but straight at Lloris. That was another fine chance. Spurs are on the ropes and have been for 25 minutes.
68 min: Kampl, who has caught the eye tonight, cleverly drifts into space and feeds the ball into Kiessling, who forces Lloris to turn away at his near post. Corner …
67 min: An excellent tackle from Tah (I thin) denies Spurs as Eriksen breaks at pace.
65 min: Janssen is replaces by Mousa Dembele, which presumably will mean Son moving into a central attacking position.
64 min: Penalty shout for Leverkusen as a scuffed corner bounces on to Rose’s upper arm. I think I might have given that. Referee Cakir says no. And he probably matters more.
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63 min: Baumgartlinger has made a real difference, sitting deep and breaking things up very effectively.
62 min: Another fine save from Lloris, this time to deny Mehmedi from the edge of the area.
61 min: Spurs get a bit of possession without creating too much but at least it relieves the pressure.
58 min: This is incredible. After stunning work from Kiessling on the left, Rose clears a shot off the line then reacts brilliantly to deflect Hernandez’s volley over the bar.
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57 min: Another decent stop from Lloris as Aranguiz hammers a low free-kick at goal from distance. Leverkusen have been the better side since the break.
56 min: We’ve just seen a replay from the goalline camera of that Lloris save. Just astonishing, a) to get there in the first place and b) to effectively roll along the line with the ball bobbling around and over and under his chest.
55 min: … zipped in by Aranguiz and nodded over by the aforementioned Kiessling.
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54 min: Kiessling goes down a little easily – as he has a tendency to do – under challenge from Rose. Dangerous free-kick for the hosts on the right touchline …
53 min: Son looks to be brought down by Bender but the referee, who has been flawless so far to be fair, says no.
51 min: Hernandez attempts an optimistic shot from the edge of the box, but he clumps it into a Spurs defender.
49 min: It goes down as a sensational save from Lloris, who made a couple of incredibly quick scrambles to keep the ball out, and a poor miss from Hernandez, who should not have given the keeper any chance.
48 min: GOAL! Surely? A move that started with Toprak slipping as he took a free-kick in his own half ended with Hernandez looking to tap home from five yards out. The ball goes under Lloris and in. Surely? Technology says no.
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46 min: Oof. The referee does very well to spot a trip on Lloris as he came out of his area to clear. Hernandez unintentionally nudged him with his knee, the keeper went down and the ball broke to Mehmedi, who stroked it into the empty net. But the whistle had gone.
Peep! Off we go again. Leverkusen have made a change in midfield, with the combative all-action Baumgartlinger replacing the more creative (and out-of-sorts) Calhanoglu.
A half-time email
So this has been especially nice one for those with black and white televisions as the teams are in all black and all white,” writes Jeremy Dresner. “No neon tonight folks.
“Makes me wonder there are 10,000 people, apparently, who still watch black and white TV in the UK Statistically someone reading must know someone.
“Why do they do it? Just obsessed with getting best perceived value from auntie?”
Peep! And it’s a quiet one. That’s half-time. Spurs will be reasonably satisfied after a worrying start. They’ve been much the better side since around the 15-minute mark.
45 min: Just one minute of added time to play.
44 min: Henrichs and Kampl combine nicely on the left, with the ball slipped inside to Hernandez. His poked effort from 20 yards is just wide but had Lloris worried for a moment.
43 min: Janssen does Tah on the left and crosses low. It requires a sharp intervention from Henrichs to clear.
42 min: Leverkusen fashion a half-chance, Kampl curling well wide from the edge of the box.
41 min: … one from the training ground as Eriksen picks out Son, who wins a corner. Which comes to nothing.
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40 min: Another booking – Bender pulls back Rose rather cynically. Spurs free-kick …
38 min: How has this not gone in? Toprak produces another brilliant block on the edge of the box to deny Alli but the ball breaks to Spurs on the edge of the area. The cross comes back in and Janssen, eight yards out plops his header on to the bar. The ball drops loose AGAIN and Lamela hooks goalwards only for Leno to recover and tip over.
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37 min: This is scrappier than Scooby Doo’s nephew at the moment. All very scruffy but Spurs still on top.
35 min: Mehmedi neatly finds the onrushing Calhanoglu … who watches the ball ping away off his shins. He’s having a bit of a mare at the moment.
34 min: This is a lull (but it won’t hurt you).
32 min: Calhanoglu wastes a free-kick, overhitting the ball to the back post. On commentary Owen Hargreaves has described the Turkish player as “the best free-kick taker in Europe” but he’s fluffed a couple already this evening.
30 min: Kiessling is the latest Leverkusen to claim to be the victim of a flailing Spurs arm. But he’s quickly up again when he realises his side have the ball and are on the attack.
28 min: What a chance! A lovely pass from Wanyama gets Trippier in behind Henrichs and the young right-back picks out Alli with a cracking cross. He meets the ball with a thumping header but it flashes just wide.
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27 min: Aranguiz goes down after challenging for a high ball with Lamela. He thinks there might have been an elbow. There wasn’t.
26 min: Lamela goes into the referee’s Big Book Of Very Bad Men for a late challenge as Bayer attempt to break.
25 min: Brilliant run from Son, swerving past two defenders and lining up a shot, only to see Toprak make an equally exceptional block.
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24 min: Bender makes a mess of a clearance and Tottenham get on the front foot, as they have been doing increasingly as this half has worn on. Rose ends up dragging a poor shot into a defender.
22 min: Leno drops smartly to smother Trippier’s low cross from the right. In the buildup, Calhanoglu clatters into Wanyama. He gets a booking, Wanyama gets some treatment from the magic sponge. And Alli gets some tactical notes from Pochettino.
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20 min: It’s Vertonghen’s turn to botch a pass out of defence but it doesn’t prove costly to Spurs. Getting midfielders on the ball has been a problem for the visitors thus far.
19 min: Leno is off his line smartly to beat Son to the ball as Spurs finally put a few passes together.
17 min: There’s a yelp of pain from Hernandez as Rose clatters him late. Referee Cakir says “NO MORE!” but keeps his cards in his pocket. For now.
16 min: A note of caution from Jeremy Dresner: “Pressing vs Pressing is like the old spy vs spy of Mad magazine fame. Similarity breads a mutually destructive, hardworking and seemingly fruitless endeavour from both parties. Let’s settle in and watch another game of very modern football. Not expecting to be thrilled for the upcoming 75 minutes either.”
14 min: Bender floats a cross into the box but a Spurs head is there to nod clear.
13 min: … Lamela swings it into the box but Kiessling is on the end of it for the home side.
12 min: Janssen wins a cheap free-kick from Henrichs on the Spurs right …
10 min: GOA … no. Son is a yard offside after being put through by Lamela. He squares to Janssen, who taps home but it’s all for nought.
9 min: Spurs get their collective foot on the ball for the first time and knock it around neatly for a moment or two. These teams are still feeling each other out.
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7 min: Dier and Lloris are both guilty of sloppily giving the ball away in their own half. The Bayer press wasin full effect there, but they couldn’t do much with it once they’d won the ball.
6 min: Kiessling wins a free-kick on halfway as Wanyama slides in late. It’s been all Leverkusen so far.
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5 min: Rose does well to prevent Mehmedi from getting on the end of another Hernandez pass.
4 min: Hernandez cleverly finds Calhanoglu out on the Bayer left but Trippier does well to smother any danger.
2 min: It does look like Two Up Top for Leverkusen.
1 min: Hakan Calhanoglu limps away gingerly after cracking his foot into the sole of Son’s boot. He looks like he’ll be OK, though.
Peep! With light drizzle falling in west Germany, off we go.
Handshakes all round and we’re ready to go.
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Click-clack, click-clack … the players are in the tunnel. Son is hugging several of his former team-mates, though he perhaps won’t get quite as warm a welcome from the fans at the BayArena.
Elsewhere this evening …
BARNSLEY STARTING XI: A new take on the starting XI v @NUFC #COYR #CROSSWORD pic.twitter.com/M75oihFD6Z
— Barnsley FC (@bfc_official) October 18, 2016
“Sounds like cheese”
Here’s Mauro in the tunnel: “We’re looking forward to the game.”
These just-before-kick-off interviews are a bit pointless aren’t they?
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While we’re waiting for kick-off you could do much worse than watch this superb documentary on the Kurdistan football team:
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@John_Ashdown Where is Kevin Wimmer?
— Ian Simpson (@rocoach) October 18, 2016
This isn’t an unreasonable question. Cameron Carter-Vickers has been preferred as central defensive cover on the bench this evening, even with Alderweireld absent. He was impressive when called upon last season and signed a new contract in the summer but hasn’t got a look-in this term. Heading for the door marked “Do One” in January?
The teams
Leverkusen: Leno; Bender, Toprak, Tah, Henrichs; Kampl, Aranguiz; Mehmedi, Hernandez, Calhanoglu; Kiessling. Subs: Ozcan, Dragovic, Baumgartlinger, Jedvaj, Brandt, Havertz, Volland.
Tottenham: Lloris, Trippier, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Wanyama; Alli, Eriksen, Son, Lamela; Janssen. Subs: Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Dembele, Onomah, Sissoko, Winks.
So, as anticipated, Eric Dier comes in for the injured Toby Alderweireld for Tottenham., while Vincent Janssen keeps his place. For Leverkusen, Lars Bender is fit to start and captain the side and Schmidt has pulled something of a surprise by naming both Javier Hernandez and Stefan Kiessling in the first XI. It’ll be interesting to see what that means in terms of their shape. Perhaps a 4-4-2?
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Preamble
Mauricio Pochettino has made no bones about it – this is the big one. “We must win,” said the Spurs manager. “The next two games against Leverkusen for us hold the key to the possibility of going to the next round.” Group E is on a a knife-edge with these two sides the sandwich filling between Monaco and CSKA Moscow after two games.
Tottenham have been, by and large, excellent so far this season but they have thrown in a couple of disappointing displays. The Bounties in their Celebrations, if you will, are both relevant to this evening: their 1-1 draw with West Brom at the weekend and the 2-1 defeat to Monaco in this competition.
Bayer Leverkusen, though, have hardly been exceptional. A wonderful 2-0 win over Dortmund before the international break was followed by a miserable 2-1 defeat at the otherwise shambolic Werder Bremen after it. They have, though, got a manager, Roger Schmidt, who talks a good game and some pretty lofty aims. As Stefan Bienkowski writes:
Schmidt has turned Bayer from a functional team of traditional, physical players into something that best resembles a mix of Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side of the not‑too‑distant past and what Guardiola implemented at Bayern.
Tottenham’s record in Germany is a bit of a mixed bag:
FC Köln, 1973-74, won 3-0
Lokomotiv Leipzig, 193-74, won 2-1
Eintracht Frankfurt, 1981-82, lost 2-1
Bayern Munich, 1982-83, lost 4-1
Bayern Munich, 1983-84, won 2-0
FC Köln, 1995 Intertoto Cup, lost 8-0
Kaiserslautern, 1999-00, lost 2-0
Bayer Leverkusen, 2006-07, won 1-0
Just to veer off on a tangent for a moment, that 8-0 defeat against Köln is worth making mention of. It came in the summer of 1995, when Uefa organised their inaugural Intertoto Cup. Spurs didn’t want to play in it, played their home games at Brighton’s Goldstone Ground and picked youth and reserve teams for the fixtures. Köln, on the other hand, were taking it seriously and a side containing Bodo Illgner, Dorinel Munteanu, Toni Polster and Bruno Labbadia tore through a Spurs XI that even included a 34-year-old on-loan Alan Pardew.
(In an aside from the aside, that’s also the year a Bordeaux side featuring Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, Richard Witschge, William Prunier, and Christophe Dugarry went all the way from the Intertoto group stage to the Uefa Cup final – an incredible 20-match cup run. But we digress …)
As you’ll note from that list these sides have met but once before, in the 2006-07 Uefa Cup. Spurs were 1-0 winners at the BayArena on that occasion, with Dimitar Berbatov – who had moved to White Hart Lane from Germany just that summer – scoring the only goal of the game.
Which neatly brings us on to this season’s notable returnee. Son Heung-min went from favourite Son to wayward Son thanks to the nature of his departure from Bayer, the full story of which can be read in this excellent David Hytner piece:
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