RB Leipzig vs Tottenham preview

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Image: Steven Bergwijn will miss Tottenham's Champions League clash at RB Leipzig due to an ankle injury

Team news and ways to follow ahead of RB Leipzig vs Tottenham in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Team news

RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed Timo Werner should be fit to start after he was injured at the weekend during his side's 0-0 draw with Wolfsburg. The striker was rested from the starting line-up for that game but was introduced as a 60th-minute substitute.

It was Werner's second-half penalty that gave the Bundesliga side a 1-0 lead after the first leg of the last-16 tie, and his presence will give the hosts a lift ahead of the second leg.

The Bundesliga club announced on Monday that the match would go ahead with a full stadium crowd at the Red Bull Arena, despite concerns over coronavirus in Europe.

Meanwhile, Tottenham's injury nightmare continues with the news that Steven Bergwijn is out for an "extended period" with a sprained ankle. The Dutch winger, who joined Spurs from PSV for £25m in January, suffered the injury in the closing stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Burnley.

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It is a major blow for Jose Mourinho who has lost another attacking option, with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son still in the treatment room, while midfielder Moussa Sissoko has been absent since January 1.

Jose Mourinho insists Tottenham are getting better in spite of their ever-increasing injury list

A statement on the club's website said: "Following assessment and examination by our medical team, we can confirm that Steven Bergwijn suffered a significant sprain to his left ankle during our match against Burnley. The Netherlands international will now undergo an extended period of rehabilitation where his progress will continue to be assessed."

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Ben Davies is also out with a suspected hamstring issue. The left-back has only just returned from a significant ankle injury sustained in Mourinho's first game in charge in November and his absence leaves central defenders Jan Vertonghen and Japhet Tanganga or winger Ryan Sessegnon as options to fill in.

Harry Kane has been stepping up his recovery from a hamstring injury

Opta facts

  • RB Leipzig are set to host Tottenham Hotspur for the first time in any competition, while Spurs are the first English side to visit the Red Bulls in an away competitive match.
  • Spurs have only lost one of their five away Champions League games in Germany (W2 D2), although that defeat came earlier this season away at Bayern Munich in the group stage (1-3).
  • RB Leipzig are looking to reach the quarter-final of a major European competition for only the second time, reaching that stage in the 2017-18 Europa League before being eliminated by Marseille.
  • Spurs have been eliminated from eight of their last 10 major UEFA European knockout ties after losing the first leg, although they overturned a deficit the last time this happened against Ajax in last season's Champions League semi-final (0-1 first leg, 3-2 second leg).
  • Four of RB Leipzig's last five Champions League goals have been penalties, including each of the last three. Only one team has ever scored more than four penalties in a single Champions League campaign - Barcelona in 2011-12 (five).
  • Spurs manager Jose Mourinho has won none of his last seven Champions League knockout matches (D4 L3) since leading Chelsea to a 2-0 win over PSG in April 2014. On the two previous occasions his teams have lost the first leg of a knockout tie at home, they have been eliminated (Chelsea v Barcelona in 2005-06, Real Madrid v Barcelona in 2010-11).
  • RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner is yet to find the net in six home Champions League appearances, attempting 22 shots without success; by contrast, in away games Werner has scored seven goals from 14 shots. Werner has scored more Champions League goals without scoring at home than any other player in the competition's history.

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Charlie's prediction

I think we saw enough of RB Leipzig in London to say they are a better team than Tottenham. They have dropped five points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, but it's nothing dramatic.

Timo Werner was rested against Wolfsburg at the weekend, so they've been preparing for this. If they can progress into the quarter-final it is a massive jump for them. Christopher Nkunku has a lot of pace on the left, and with Werner they are very dangerous with Yussuf Poulsen through the middle.

Tottenham are all over the place currently. Jose Mourinho doesn't know his best defence or whether he wants a back five or not. What is going on between him and Tanguy Ndombele? It must be a real concern as Jose is not managing to sort it. He is struggling, and at Burnley it outlined that there is a real problem. I see them going out fairly easily and the problems mounting.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)

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