Tottenham struggles to balance Champions League, EPL

For the long line of teams caught on the underside of English soccer’s glass ceiling, what they want is what Tottenham now has.

The North London club toughed out a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League group play on Tuesday, sits in third place in the English Premier League table, and, if you’re Stoke or Southampton or West Ham, is very much living the dream.

However, that dream, hard-earned and much-deserved, is not quite as seamless a path to happiness as it appears.

Having broken into the top four of the EPL last season, Tottenham likes its chances of staying there and going a step further, challenging for the title while also embarking upon a strong run in Europe. The early signs, domestically at least, have been strong, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side sitting just a point back from leaders Manchester City and Arsenal in the EPL standings.

Tuesday’s tussle in Germany, though, gave a strong hint of the challenges to come in the Champions League.

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Without the deep pockets of a Real Madrid or Manchester City, maintaining a challenge on two fronts is perilously difficult. The goalkeeping heroics of Hugo Lloris saved Tottenham from defeat against Leverkusen and a point could be mightily useful in the final reckoning, but such battles take a toll and there is not much Pochettino can do about it. Not with this having been the second of a grueling stretch of matches incorporating seven games in 23 days.

There will be no rest for Tottenham’s star names such as Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, even if rotation would be the smarter option. It is hard to tell a fan base that suffered through too many down years to temper expectations now that the good times have arrived. Prioritizing one competition, for example the EPL, and sacrificing another simply would not wash.

For Leicester City, which staved off Tottenham’s challenge to unexpectedly win the EPL title last season, the dilemma is nowhere near so acute. For the Foxes, this season – much like last – is a happy adventure. The defending champion has taken just eight points from eight EPL games so far and will not challenge for the trophy this time around.

However, it never expected to, seeing last season’s miracle as just that. It can, therefore, focus heavily on Europe, and the results have borne that out, with three wins from three, including Tuesday’s 1-0 home victory against FC Copenhagen.

For those who dare to dream big both at home and in Europe though, it is easy to get caught in the middle.