Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has predicted that Tottenham Hotspur will lose in a high-scoring game against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Spurs travel to the Camp Nou knowing they must match Inter Milan’s result against PSV Eindhoven, with a win guaranteeing them progress to the knockout stages.
Sky pundit Nicholas does not see that happening however, predicting a 4-2 win for the home side while foreseeing a goal for the red-hot Dele Alli in the process.
In his predictions for Sky Sports, he said: “Barcelona are through but the thing is this is Barcelona and they don’t do anyone any favours. Spurs will have a real go but I think this is just a game too far for them here in what should be a decent game of football.
“Tottenham have got really dangerous players and there’ll be loads of goals because they’ll open up the game but that’ll suit Barcelona with some open football being their cup of tea.”
OPINION
It is not really a surprise to see that Nicholas has backed Barcelona to win on Tuesday, with that being the safe result for pundits to predict. The La Liga giants are having a really solid season, especially in the Champions League, and will be gunning for another win despite some changes being likely from Ernesto Valverde. That being said, a win is not out of the question for Spurs, who are in some good form. Mauricio Pochettino and his side were not helped by a late kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday, but they should be well up for this and ready to fight until the final whistle. Their recovery from a seriously poor start to their European campaign has been impressive, and finishing that off with a win at the Camp Nou would be nothing short of a miracle. While they do not necessarily need a win, the likelihood is that Inter will dispatch PSV at home, which would mean the three points is vital.