Tottenham Hotspur

Sanchez must start against Madrid

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Image for Sanchez must start against Madrid

OPINION

Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez has been benched for the last two games and he simply must be recalled to the starting XI against Real Madrid.

Spurs host the European giants on Wednesday night in the Champions League group stages and the 21-year-old has to be involved from the start.

Mauricio Pochettino has made the blunder of axing the centre-back in the last two matches, with the North London club losing to West Ham in the EFL Cup and Manchester United in the Premier League as a result.

It is clear that Spurs’ strongest back three consists of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld operating either side of Sanchez, with the trio forming a solid understanding already this campaign.

Pochettino stubbornly continues to squeeze Eric Dier into the team as a make-shift defender at times when he should solely be competing for a midfield role.

Leaving out Sanchez is a decision that has massively backfired in the past week and he should be an ever-present in the side moving forward.

The Colombian defender is the perfect player in the centre of a three-man defence and has made a seamless transition since his arrival from Ajax in the summer.

He has the pace and agility that means he can cope with most centre-forwards, while he is also a powerhouse that is very difficult to handle in individual battles.

Sanchez has certainly been one of the standout players so far this season for Spurs and he can shine once again in mid-week against Madrid.

The ball-playing defender dealt very well with Madrid’s attackers in the previous meeting at the Bernabeu and brining him back into the side gives Spurs a much stronger look.

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