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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Pa Sport Staff

Tottenham set Champions League challenge after Frankfurt stalemate

AFP via Getty Images

Clement Lenglet is confident Tottenham Hotspur can qualify for the Champions League knock-out stage after they left Frankfurt with a point on Tuesday.

Spurs were eager to bounce back in their Group D tie after last weekend’s humbling defeat away to rivals Arsenal and while they could not claim all three points in Germany, the 0-0 draw kept them in with a strong chance of making the last 16.

Tottenham are joint-second with four points from three games alongside Frankfurt but face two crucial European home games this month against the Bundesliga outfit and group leaders Sporting Lisbon which will go a long way to deciding who finishes in the top two.

“I think we can score a goal and win the game. We play a good game, with a lot of intensity, duels and chances to score goals. Of course when you don’t win you are always a bit not happy but it is a good point and we have to do the job at home,” Lenglet told Spurs Play.

“If we are going to do it automatic, we have to win these two (home) games to be really close to the round of 16 so the objective is really clear.

“We have to play good games. We have to recover well because it was a really tough game and after we have to prepare for the game against this team at home to be better.”

Lenglet was well aware of Frankfurt’s threat at Deutsche Bank Park, having been part of the Barcelona side who were knocked out of last season’s Europa League by the eventual winners of the competition, and Spurs restricted the hosts to limited chances.

Tottenham were unable to make the most of their openings though with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in particular guilty of prolificacy.

Lenglet added: “Frankfurt is a good team. Last year I play against this team with Barcelona and it was really, really difficult – we lose at home!

“So, I can say with my experience this team is really good. We played a really good game with a lot of intensity, we win a lot of duels and we try to put this team in difficulty and I thought we did.”

Conte’s men are two games into a run of 13 matches in 43 days with a Premier League trip to Brighton on the horizon this weekend but Lenglet is confident they can cope with the busy period ahead of the winter World Cup.

We have to win these two (home) games to be really close to the round of 16 so the objective is really clear
— Clement Lenglet

“Yeah, we know we have a lot of games in a few weeks, so we have to recover well,” he said.

“It is always a pleasure to play games. Difficult because we put the body at maximum intensity and it is always really, really difficult to finish games and be ready for the next.

“We have a good mentality, we are working well so I hope in one month we speak and we say we win a lot of games because this would be really good for the team and everybody.”

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