5 talking points ahead of Real Madrid v Tottenham

Tottenham will face the most daunting challenge in club football when they visit European champions Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Here we looked at five talking points ahead of a mouth-watering Champions League clash.

All eyes on Kane

Kane’s 15 goals in his last 11 games for club and country have earned him a reputation as one of the deadliest strikers in Europe and with that comes interest from the top clubs. Madrid are certainly one of those and some might see this as a Kane audition for a future big-money move to the Spanish capital. Tottenham, and Mauricio Pochettino, however, would beg to differ, but there is no doubt that goals for Kane at the Bernabeu might not only strengthen his side’s position in Group H, but also convince his opponents he truly is the real deal.

Modric to make up for Bale absence

Gareth Bale has been ruled out of the match with a calf injury and may not even make the return fixture at Wembley in a fortnight’s time. It means the focus will be on Luka Modric, another Tottenham star to swap the white of White Hart Lane for the white of Los Blancos in 2012. Modric has blossomed into perhaps the finest midfield playmaker in the world since then and he will be keen to remind Tottenham of his talents. Spurs will hope their own new possession king Mousa Dembele is passed fit to start. It would make a fascinating battle in the centre of the park.

Control of the group up for grabs

For all the sub-plots on offer, there is also a Champions League group to be won and the victors on Tuesday will be in a commanding position to claim top spot. Tottenham and Madrid look like runaway leaders, each six points clear of Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia, but Dortmund now face a double header against the Cypriot minnows and could quickly surge back into contention. A point would represent an excellent result for Spurs, but they also have a point to prove, having struggled in the Champions League last year. They certainly cannot afford a thrashing.

Spurs struggling at left-back

Danny Rose has travelled with the Tottenham squad to Madrid and took part in training in a light training session on Monday night. After almost nine months out, however, Rose is hardly ready to start, particularly in a game of this magnitude, and with Ben Davies still out ill, Pochettino has a conundrum to solve. Jan Vertonghen could fill in on the left of a back four, but the Belgian is not so well-suited to a wing-back role. If that is Pochettino’s preferred system, he could use Kieran Trippier on his weaker flank or risk the more attacking Son Heung-min. All the possibilities carry risks.

Can Ronaldo outshine Kane?

As soon as the final whistle blew on Tottenham’s victory against Apoel Nicosia last month, where Harry Kane had scored a hat-trick, attention turned to a showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and the form forward in Europe. Ronaldo’s career record can only be rivalled by Lionel Messi, but it would not be a surprise if the Portuguese was keen to prove a point at a time when all the talk is about a new striker being on Madrid’s wish-list next summer. Ronaldo scored a late winner in Real’s 2-1 win over Getafe on Saturday and it would be a brave person to bet against him proving the difference again.