Tottenham Hotspur are coming off a gigantic win, and be gigantic, we mean titanic, gargantuan etc. Spurs beat two defending European champion Real Madrid at Wembley 3-1, in a match that was even more lopsided than it sounds. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said in postgame than the win places the club among Europe’s most elite.
It was Madrid’s first loss in 30 UEFA Champions League group stage games, and their first setback in such competition since 2012.
However, we learned on Friday that this tremendous victory came with a substantial price. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris suffered a groin strain, meaning that Michel Vorm is now in line to be the #1 in the team sheet at home versus Crystal Palace Sunday afternoon. Additionally, Toby Alderweireld suffered a hamstring strain in the historic win over Los Blancos, and he’ll be missing for this match.
Dwellers of the absolute last place in the entire table, Palace is the perfect match-up for a team missing two key players, and possibly on let down alert after such riding such a high crest in the wave that is a football season.
“My information about Toby and Hugo is we must wait,” Pochettino said in his weekly pre-match press conference.
“The scan they are now going to do this afternoon (Friday). Sure, tomorrow we will have a better idea about it. Today is speculation.
“We can guess but I think we must wait for the information after the scan and the assessment from the doctor.”
French national team boss Didier Deschamps, speaking out his news conference ahead of the international break, said that he expects Hugo Lloris to be out at least 15 days.
“We have to be focused,” Pochettino said.
“I think we must use the result (over Real) to lift us and build our confidence but I understand that we must work hard to get another good result on Sunday. It is difficult to play again after Wednesday because Wednesday was massive but we must be ready for a tough game.”
“Crystal Palace struggled at the start of the season and changed their manager, Roy Hodgson, who I know very well and is a great manager. Now, the challenge is to be focused. Today is an opportunity to forget the Real Madrid game. After Manchester United it is important to win a game in the Premier League.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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