Tottenham Hotspur were made to hold on in the second half at the BayArena as they picked up a point against Bayer Leverkusen in an entertaining goalless draw.
Spurs had three big chances to find a breakthrough in the opening 45 minutes, the best of which fell to Dele Alli when he nodded wide from eight yards out.
Momentum completely shifted midway through and it was the hosts who dominated the second period, themselves coming close a number of times as Hugo Lloris was forced into making a string of saves.
Relive how the Champions League group-stage clash unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Champions League Group E meeting between Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur at the BayArena. This is one of the tightest groups in the competition; just three points separating top-place AS Monaco and bottom side CSKA Moscow. The two sides locked in the middle face off here tonight, with a place in the last 16 within sight for the winner.
There is plenty on the line in this impressive 30,000-capacity arena tonight, then, with defeat for either side likely to leave them playing catch up at we reach the halfway point in Group E. There is plenty to get through between now and kickoff in around an hour's time, so let us get straight into things by checking out some confirmed team news from the BayArena.
TEAM NEWS!
BAYER LEVERKUSEN XI: Leno, Bender, Tah, Omer Toprak, Henrich, Mehmedi, Aranguiz, Kampl, Hakan, Kiessling, Hernandez
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI: Lloris, Trippier, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose, Wanyama, Alli, Lamela, Eriksen, Son, Janssen
Starting with the visiting team, and manager Mauricio Pochettino has made a few defensive changes to his side from the 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion just a few days ago. The big news is that, as expected, Toby Alderweireld is absent due to an injury picked up in that clash at The Hawthorns, which has also left him doubtful for the meeting with Bournemouth next weekend. Eric Dier is the man to fill in at the back alongside Jan Vertonghen, proving once again just how versatile he is.
Danny Rose is also in at left-back, taking the place of Ben Davies who drops down to the bench as Pochettino makes the most of his quality full-back options. To strengthen that point, Kieran Trippier is fielded on the opposite flank in the absence of the rested Kyle Walker, while Hugo Lloris is again given the nod between the sticks having put his early-season injury issues firmly behind him in recent weeks.
Pochettino's other big call came up top, where he has opted to bring Son Heung-min into the side, partnering the South Korean - who has hit the ground running with five goals in seven games this term - with Vincent Janssen. Son knows Leverkusen very well, of course, having spent two season here before joining Spurs in an £18.8m move in 2014. Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli and Dele Alli provide further attacking ammunition.
In terms of the home side, boss Roger Schmidt has made three changes to the team that suffered a 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen last time out. Stefan Kiessling and Admir Mehmedi come into the starting lineup in place of Kevin Volland and Julian Brandt, while fitness doubt Lars Bender starts at right-back. Wendell was among the starters at Bremen, but he drops out of the squad altogether this evening.
The return of Bender is a big boost for Leverkusen, with the makeshift defender only taking part in light training earlier this week due to illness. Kiessling starting is a little surprising, but he can form a solid partnership with Javier Hernandez up top - a player Spurs fans will know all about due to his time in English football. The Mexican has five already this season in Bundesliga, but has never registered against Tottenham before.
BENCH WATCH!
BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUBS: Oezcan, Dragovic, Baumgartlinger, Jedvaj, Brandt, Havertz, Volland
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Dembele, Onomah, Sissoko, Winks
So Volland one of three players to drop out of the Leverkusen starting lineup from last time out, then, while Wendell fails to even make the bench. Spurs have named a strong starting XI which means that their back-up options are largely defensive, but expect to see Mousa Dembele or Mousa Sissoko introduced at some point to shore up that midfield, which sees Alli partner Victor Wanyama from the off.
Son Heung-min spent two years at Bayer Leverkusen before moving to join Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth close to £19m. The South Korean was heavily linked with a move away in the summer but decided to stay, and that has been an inspired choice because he has scored five goals in seven games this term to become arguably the Lilywhites' key player in Harry Kane's early-season absence.
Leverkusen qualified for the Champions League for the fourth-year running this term thanks to their third-placed finish last time out in the Bundesliga. Schmidt's charges finished five points ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach, who were stuffed by Manchester City recently in this competition, but ended 18 and 28 points behind big-two sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively. That highlights the current gulf in German football, while also showing that Bayer are there to be beaten tonight.
Bayer are currently 10th in the Bundesliga, however, having made a slow start to their campaign. Three wins from the first seven games is hardly the best of returns, leaving them playing catch up on the top-four sides already at this early stage. Plenty of time for Schmidt to turn things around at the BayArena, starting with three points at Hoffenheim next Saturday which is now a vital game following the 2-1 reverse to Werder Bremen three days ago.
In terms of their Champions League exploits, Leverkusen have drawn each of their opening two games. To make matters worse for the German outfit, they have dropped points in both matches having failed to hold onto leads that they really should have seen through. In their opener, a two-goal advantage disappeared as they drew 2-2 with CSKA Moscow, while a 94th-minute goal earned AS Monaco a 1-1 draw in Bayer's last outing in this competition.
Those results, combined with the fact that Bayer travel to Tottenham and CSKA in their next two outings after tonight, makes this essentially a must-win game for them. OK, Group E is incredibly tight and Leverkusen will still be in with a shout even if they were to lose this evening, but they do not want to be travelling to London in a couple of weeks' time chasing a win against a Spurs side that knows how to pick apart teams with ease.
Schmidt's men have never actually kept a clean sheet in 16 games against English opposition in the Champions League, while they have also shipped nine times in their domestic top flight so far this season - not a particularly poor stat but not an impressive one, either. Bayer have scored the same number of goals up the other end of the pitch, half of which have been scored by former Man United ace Hernandez who still has a knack of finding the net no matter where he plays.
Bayer certainly have a habit of drawing games in this competition, having seen six of their last 10 group games remain all square at full time. Just one of those has ended in victory, meanwhile - a comfortable 4-1 triumph over BATE Borisov 13 months ago - with the other three in that sequence ending in defeat. Furthermore, each of their last four games at this level have ended in stalemate, so if you fancy a bet you know what result to go for this evening!
The bad news for Tottenham is that Leverkusen are very hard to beat on home soil in European competition, with five games passing since they last tasted defeat here in the Champions League - two wins and three draws - while it is eight matches when taking into consideration Europa League fixtures. That run stretches back to 2014, meaning Spurs will have to do something that the past eight teams to visit the BayArena have failed to do by leaving with all three points.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! The only previous competitive encounter between these two sides was in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup group stage, when Dimitar Berbatov scored the only goal of the game against his former club to help Tottenham to a 1-0 victory. Leverkusen have lost nine of their last 10 fixtures against English opposition, in fact - the exception being a 2-1 victory earned over Chelsea here five years ago.
Roger Schmidt guided Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions League this term for the fourth-time running, thanks to a third-placed finish in last season's Bundesliga. It has been a slower start to this campaign, though, with just three wins from their first seven games leaving the club in 10th place at this early stage. Their European aspirations are also in the balance - two draws from two thus far in this competition.
Spurs have made a better start to their domestic campaign, making the short trip to Germany while sitting comfortably in third place in the Premier League. There was always the risk of a hangover in the opening weeks of the season, following on from a four-game winless run at the end of the last campaign - including back-to-back defeats to see the term through - but the Lilywhites are the only unbeaten team with eight games played this time around.
A 2-0 win over a previously perfect Man City side really set the benchmark for Pochettino and his side, leaving them just a point off the current pacesetters at the time. The two-week international break was full of title talk from the outside, none of which the Argentinian boss wanted anything to do with, but a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the weekend has halted momentum somewhat - putting an end to their five-game winning run in the league.
Man City's draw with Everton in freak circumstances means that Spurs remain just one point adrift, while rivals Arsenal - who have a habit of always pipping the Lilywhites to the post - also gained ground and climbed into second spot at the weekend. Things are only just starting to heat up in the Premier League, however, with Tottenham's attentions now turning towards their European aspirations which are currently in the balance heading into this game.
A 2-1 defeat to AS Monaco in their first outing at temporary home Wembley was not the best way to kick things off, but they made up for that blip with a positive 1-0 triumph away at CSKA Moscow a few weeks back to put themselves right back on track. Four points from the next six on offer in this double-header with Bayer will likely now be the target for Pochettino, who will simply be desperate to avoid defeat tonight.
That said, Pochettino has hardly fielded the most defensive of sides this evening, so he will see this as a chance to pick up successive wins in the competition to take control of Group E at the midway stage. Spurs have a real busy schedule ahead, as they face Leverkusen (twice), Bournemouth, Liverpool, Leicester City and rivals Arsenal in the space of just 19 days in three different competitions - Champions League, EFL Cup and Premier League.
DID YOU KNOW? Tottenham have lost six of their last eight away games in Europe to German opposition, although their solitary triumph did come at this venue almost exactly 10 years ago. The Lilywhites' recent overall away record in the Champions League is perfectly balanced, meanwhile, as they have won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six outings on their travels.
With kickoff now less than 10 minutes away at the BayArena, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Roger Schmidt: "Tottenham play great football and there's a great atmosphere at the club. You can see they've improved all aspects of their game. You have to expect them to challenge for the Premier League title again this season. I was privileged to coach Heung-Min Son at Leverkusen for a season. After a tricky first campaign at Tottenham he's now showing his true potential and I hope that continues - with the possible exception of [tonight]."
Mauricio Pochettino: "It's very important we get the three points if we want to get into the next round. We want to win tomorrow and produce a repeat performance at Wembley in two weeks' time. I admire Schmidt and the way Leverkusen play. Both teams play with high intensity and always try to attack. It will be an exciting game. The power of this [Spurs] team is that anyone can play. Everyone is fighting for a place in the starting XI."
Both managers full of praise for one another, then, with Schmidt backing Spurs to challenge for the Premier League title for the second season running, and Pochettino talking up his opposite number's impressive style of play. The Tottenham boss also insisted that three points is very much the target, which is certainly on the agenda for the hosts, so we should hopefully see some end-to-end football tonight.
PREDICTION! Football does not always go the way you expect, but all signs point to a draw this evening. Bayer are tough to beat on home soil, going eight games without tasting defeat in European competition here, while Spurs do not tend to perform all that well against German opponents on their travels. That said, Leverkusen just love drawing games in the group stage - each of their last four outings have ended in stalemate - so I will go with a 1-1 tie today.
As things stand heading into this third round of fixtures, which will get under way in just two minutes' time, AS Monaco lead the way in Group E with four points, while Spurs have three, Bayer have two and CSKA prop things up with one. That means the order of the table can change completely come 10pm this evening, so every last point will count. Here we go...
KICKOFF! Tottenham Hotspur get us up and running at the BayArena, aiming to pick up successive wins in the Champions League to take a giant leap towards the last 16. Bayer Leverkusen need a win themselves, but they are having to sit back a little in these opening stages.
Pochettino will be happy enough with the opening stages of the contest, as his side are just allowed to settle themselves into the match. Just the third match the Spurs boss has coached in this competition, remember, so he is still a relative rookie in the managerial world.
Both teams pressing high up the pitch as expected, looking to force mistakes. Kampl sends a cross in which has too much on it for Kiessling, but Bender so nearly latched on to it towards the back post - good play from the hosts.
That high press has already forced an error - and it is Spurs who have been caught out. Mehmedi capitalises on a mistake on the Spurs left, but his cross into the box was rather poor and Lloris barely had to move to pluck the ball out of the air.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Janssen is denied a first Tottenham goal from open play, as the linesman's flag was up on the far side. Son prodded the ball across for his teammate to tap into an unguarded net, but the call from the officials was correct - the South Korean was offside.
All very congested in midfield at the moment, but there is no denying that the high press is going to have a big say in who wins this game. Leverkusen have already forced their opponents into one mistake in defence and Spurs nearly edged ahead in similar circumstances.
Spurs not really sticking to their formation at the moment which, to use Jurgen Klopp's word from last night, is making things pretty "hectic". Just white shirts pressing in every direction, looking to pounce on a loose ball.
Alli goes to ground too easily and fails to get the decision, moments before Rose wiped out Hernandez near the touchline to concede a free kick. Still awaiting the first shot of the contest, with Son so nearly latching on to a through-ball a few moments ago.
That opening for Son, which goalkeeper Leno got to first, came at the end of a real positive Spurs attack. Janssen was better positioned but failed to trap the ball, with Son unable to get to it and the chance going begging.
Still no goals elsewhere in Group E, either, where AS Monaco are facing CSKA Moscow in Russia. Trippier gets forward down his flank but his cross is well dealt with by Leno, who got to the ball before a white shirt could tap it in at the back stick.
YELLOW CARD! Hakan Calhanoglu is the first player to be booked for a real horror challenge on Wanyama. The Spurs midfielder has been down for a couple of minutes receiving some treatment but he does now seem fine to continue.
All very disjointed at the moment at the BayArena, but there is no doubt that it is the visitors who are growing more and more into things. Eriksen and Alli both picked up the ball in a pocket of space, with the latter just lacking the composure to take on the shot.
YELLOW CARD! Lamela with the most needless of challenges on Hernandez, who was going nowhere fast, sees the card count levelled up at one apiece. Toprak produced a good block on Son moments before that to deny the South Korean.
Lamela, moments after being shown a yellow, appeared to catch Aranguiz with a stray elbow. Replays show that it was unintended, however, which is thankfully the way the referee saw it. Nearly a third of the game played and still no shots.
CHANCE! The first chance of any note all evening falls the way of Spurs - and what a chance it was for midfielder Dele Alli. Trippier was played into absolute acres of space down the right, sending in a decent delivery which Alli got on the end of but could only head wide of the target from eight yards out.
CLOSE! Moments after that Alli chance, Bayer muster their first opening as a free kick from deep is glanced wide of the target by Toprak. Only a half-chance for the defender but he was not too far from opening the scoring.
The atmosphere has gone up a few notches over the past few minutes since those chances for either side, with Tottenham's 6,500 travelling supporters helping in that regard. Pochettino will probably be the happier of the two managers at this point.
Mehmedi fires a ball across to Calhanoglu, who had a clean shot on goal just inside the box if he could control the ball. The Bayer man failed to do so, however, and Spurs got away with one as they cleared their lines.
GROUP E UPDATE! CSKA Moscow have taken the lead against AS Monaco elsewhere in Group E, courtesy of Lacina Traore's goal 34 minutes in. The Russian side have gone from bottom to joint-top just like that, showing just how tight things are.
OFF THE BAR! Really good play from Spurs, who have stepped things up now in search of that opener. First, Janssen teed up Alli to shoot, only for toprak to again block the ball in front of goal. Then, Janssen saw his attempt come back off the bar, before Lamela's follow-up was somehow kept out by Leno. Unbelievable!
YELLOW CARD! Third booking of the half, this time the yellow being shown to Leverkusen captain Lars Bender who pulled back his opponent. Spurs have dominated the last 10 minutes or so but cannot find the net.
Just about Bayer's best move from open play, which culminates in Kampl taking a touch but sending his shot from the edge of the box a good yard or so wide of the target. Probably should have been doing better from there with time on his side.
Janssen gets the beating of Tah, who has not had the finest halves of football so far. A corner was conceded which Tah did clear to redeem himself slightly. Half time just moments away, with Spurs the team more deserving of a goal.
Henrichs has been heavily involved down the left-hand flank this half, and he plays the ball to Hernandez who can only send his shot wide of goal. He has still yet to find the net against Tottenham, despite being fairly prolific at Man United.
HALF TIME: BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
So no goals so far at the BayArena, then, but it is Tottenham Hotspur who have looked the more lively and have twice come close to opening the scoring. Bayer Leverkusen started fairly strongly with their high pressing, but they have yet to have a single shot on goal as we reach the halfway stage of the contest in Germany.
High pressing was always going to be a big theme in the game, and it was the hosts who first forced their opponents into a mistake high up the pitch when Danny Rose was dispossessed, but the subsequent cross was well off the mark and the chance went begging. Vincent Janssen thought he had his first goal from open play in a Tottenham shit nine minutes in when converting from a Son Heung-min pass, though the South Korean was rightly adjudged to have been offside and the strike was ruled out before celebrations could begin.
A third of the match had lapsed before the first chance of any note arrived, which came via the head of Dele Alli as he met a fine Kieran Trippier cross from the right. Alli, who has scored in each of the Lilywhites' last two games, perhaps should have been doing better from eight yards out as he sent his attempt wide of the target under little pressure. Omer Toprak was called into action a couple of times to produce some vital blocks on the edge of the box, but he came close to opening the scoring up the other end when glancing a header wide 32 minutes in.
Spurs dominated the final 10 minutes of the first half, taking control of things and creating two more big chances - Janssen seeing his close-range header come back off the bar, before Erik Lamela's follow-up attempt was somehow kept out by Bernd Leno. Javier Hernandez, with five goals to his name in the Bundesliga this term - half of his side's total tally - has never previous registered against Tottenham Hotspur and his frustrations continued as he flashed one wide on the brink of the interval.
Mauricio Pochettino will undoubtedly be the happier manager at the midway point, having seen his side create the three best chances of the first half, but will that spark Roger Schmidt into action at the break? Here is a reminder of both sides' back-up options.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUBS: Oezcan, Dragovic, Baumgartlinger, Jedvaj, Brandt, Havertz, Volland
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Dembele, Onomah, Sissoko, Winks
RESTART! We are back under way at the Bay Arena - Leverkusen getting proceedings up and running as they attempt to make a similarly bright start to the contest, against a Spurs side that grew more and more into the first half.
Schmidt made a change to his side at the break, as Julian Baumgartlinger was brought on for Hakan Calhanoglu who just could not get into the first half. Bayer roll the ball into the net but the whistle had long gone for a challenge on Lloris.
CHANCE! Huge controversy at the BayArena, as Hernandez claims that his tap-in crossed the line. Lloris did very well to actually get across to deny the Mexican, and replays show that only three-thirds of the ball had crossed the line.
Hernandez really should have been burying that chance, but Lloris was given a glimmer of a chance to get there - and get there he did! Spurs struggling to find their feet in the early stages of the second half, much like in the first.
Spurs have shipped just six goals in 11 games this term, and are looking good value to prolong that run despite making three changes at the back. The Lilywhites are now controlling the tempo of things, patiently looking to get the ball forward.
We are getting to the stage of the game where Pochettino may be thinking about turning to Dembele and/or Sissoko to add some further depth to that midfield. Leverkusen just starting to wrestle back control of the game, with 34 minutes left to play.
SAVE! Lloris all of a sudden the keeper having to work hard to keep his side in the match, as Aranguiz's free kick was heading for the bottom corner if not for the Frenchman's intervention. From the corner, Rose was twice in the right place to deny shots on goal, which looked destined for the back of the net.
Well even before this Leverkusen spell, I mentioned that Dembele and Sissoko are both potential replacements. Pochettino must surely be thinking about changing things around a bit now, with the hosts well on top at this point in proceedings.
SAVE! Bayer again work the ball well, this time to Mehmedi who is in acres of space on the edge of the box and unable to fire away on goal. Lloris produces another fine stop, with his side now replying on him to keep the scores level.
A penalty shout against Danny Rose, as the ball bounced up and hit his arm at the front post when a corner was swung in. Those calls are regularly given, but on this occasion Spurs have got away with it. Pochettino still not ready to change things around.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! Here comes that first Tottenham alteration - Mousa Dembele on for Vincent Janssen in the obvious change. A forward for a midfielder, so a change of formation for the closing 25 minutes or so.
SAVE! Things starting to look a little ominous for the visitors now, as Lloris again produces a stop at his front post to deny Kiessling. From the corner, Toprak heads straight at the visitors' inspired skipper.
Tottenham have barely got the ball in their opponents' attacking third this half, which is a real worry. Lamela in particular has struggled and he has now been replaced by Moussa Sissoko - Wanyama, Dembele and now Sissoko all on the field.
Lloris is unable to deal with a corner kick into the box but Toprak - so heavily involved in attack in this contest - can only blast wide of goal on the half-volley. Leverkusen somehow unable to find the breakthrough at the BayArena.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUB! Second change of the mach for the hosts - Lars Bender, who was doubtful for this game due to illness, is replaced by Croatia international Tin Jedvaj. Three players in the Leverkusen defence aged 20 or under now.
Eleven attempts in this second half for Leverkusen... zero for Tottenham. Not a single shot, blocked or otherwise, from the Lilywhites since the restart. A case of holding on now, with a little over 10 minutes plus added time to come.
GROUP E UPDATE! Lacina Traore's goal against his parent club 34 minutes in is still the difference between CSKA Moscow and AS Monaco elsewhere in this tight group. As things stand the Russian side will climb into second and shift Spurs down to third.
Spurs venture forward for near enough the first time this half, with Trippier sending in another delightful cross from the right. It was a great cross but a black shirt got their first, so still the Lilywhites wait for a second-half shot.
Pochettino will surely use his final change, even if it is to merely eat up some time, but it is difficult to see who he turns to. Carter-Vickers, Davies, Winks and Onomah the options - the latter likely to be the one given the nod.
Leverkusen have lost their momentum and Spurs capitalise, getting up the pitch and winning themselves a corner. The ball bounced around inside the box but no visiting player could make proper contact. Eriksen then sent in a cross which Leno collected at the second attempt.
CHANCE! Not the easiest of chances, with the ball rather fizzes in, but Kiessling could have won the points for his side late on. The tall striker failed to adjust his feet and the ball ended a few inches wide of the target.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN SUB! Julian Brandt is on for Hernandez to add some pace to the hosts' attack. Spurs have just hit their opponents on the counter but only have a corner to show for their efforts. Very end-to-end now!
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR! Here comes that third change, which as predicted sees Josh Onomah come on for Son Heung-min. Three minutes of added time have been added on, so still time for one of these teams to win it...
An aerial bombardment from Leverkusen, but a stray pass helps ease the pressure on the visitors who will be more than happy with a point on the basis of this second half. A real game of two halves, but it is the German outfit who will be most disappointed.
FULL TIME: BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The full-time whistle sounds at the BayArena, where Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur have played out a fairly entertaining goalless draw. Spurs had to hold on in the second half but they did dominate the first-half chances, and will argue that a point apiece is just about the right result. A late goal for AS Monaco elsewhere in Group E ensures that things remain incredibly tight - three points still the margin between top and bottom.
You can see the Group E standings in full right here at the midway point in proceedings, while an on-the-whistle match report is available here. Reaction from Germany is to follow shortly, so be sure to stick around for that. Thanks for joining!
