Martin Keown claims Tottenham will have learned Champions League lessons

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Martin Keown believes Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will be reminding his players of a slow start to last season’s Champions League competition ahead of their upcoming fixture.

Spurs are preparing for their opening group stage match of this season’s Champions League competition and they begin by travelling to Olympiacos on Wednesday evening.

The North London club made it to the final of last season’s elite European club competition, before losing to English rivals Liverpool.

But Spurs had to overcome a tough start in the group last season, as they had just one point from their opening three matches before eventually escaping with qualification to the knockout rounds.

Pundit Keown expects Spurs to be avoiding a repeat of last season and going all out for a win against Olympiacos.

“Tottenham’s Champions League campaign last season did not exactly go to plan at the start. Tottenham still managed to escape their group and even got all the way to the final, but they will have learned from that nightmarish start,” Keown told the Daily Mail.

“Mauricio Pochettino will be telling his players to put in the hard work early, because then you make it easier for yourself down the line. I suspect we’ll see a different Spurs, now that the European transfer window has closed. It is as if their season is just starting.”

TBR’s View:

Spurs can take huge inspiration from their brilliant European adventure last season and there is no reason why the same group can’t go deep into the competition once again.

They are set to be in for a hostile atmosphere on Wednesday in Greece, but they have the stronger football players and the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend should give them big confidence.

Pochettino’s team do appear to be building up towards top gear after a slow start and a big European night is exactly what his players need to lift themselves.