This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Tottenham Hotspur need a miracle to progress to the final of the Champions League for a second successive season.
Last year, of course, they flew by the seat of their pants, beating Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages before eventually bowing out to eventual winners Liverpool, losing 2-0 in Madrid.
The final was actually an anti-climax, a game that was ultimately decided after 30 seconds, when Moussa Sissoko’s errant arm led to a penalty that Mohamed Salah converted.
But the ride was glorious for Spurs fans and full of the drama and controversy that only football can throw up; think of that VAR decision against Manchester City and that famous Lucas Moura winner in Amsterdam.
But this time around, already, it looks to be different.
Spurs have finished second, behind Bayern Munich, in their group and they will face one of the following in the next round: PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, RB Leipzig or Valencia.
The latter two, one might think, could be favourable draws.
The Spaniards, though, topped a tough group that also featured Chelsea and Ajax, even winning at Stamford Bridge, while Leipzig dominated an open Group G also comprising Lyon, Benfica, and Zenit.
They will be tricky away trips, to be sure, and there is no guarantee they will be beaten on home soil either; Spurs lost 7-2 to Bayern in north London and fell 2-0 behind to Olympiacos before rallying to win 4-2.
PSG, of course, boast the megastars of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar and were comfortably clear of Real Madrid in Group A; Juventus have Cristiano Ronaldo and were not troubled by either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen; Barca have Lionel Messi and sauntered through a group with Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.
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This time last year, of course, Spurs drew Dortmund and it was seen as a tricky fixture; they went on to win 4-0 on aggregate.
One feels that they will need the luck of the draw – avoiding Barca and PSG is paramount – and then they will need to be at their very best to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Of course, to win this competition, one will have to face a European giant eventually.
Spurs will just have to hope that the scenario comes later rather than sooner.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have been reacting to a cheeky tweet from the club’s official account.