If the build-up to the first game between Real Madrid and Tottenham focused on Harry Kane, then the second meeting on Wednesday night at Wembley is very much being seen in Spain as the Dele Alli test.
There is a concern that if Tottenham almost defeated Real at the Bernabeu without the England midfielder, they might be able to go one step further with him in the side.
‘He is the big young English talent,’ said Diario AS resident European football expert Julio Maldonado. ‘He is intelligent, he scores goals and he has a great understanding with Kane and [Christian] Eriksen.’
Dele Alli is expected to star after missing previous Real Madrid clash through suspension
The Spanish papers previewed the clash between Tottenham and Real Madrid on Wednesday
Marca was no less emphatic with an editorial that read: ‘The Wembley lights always focus on Harry Kane but tonight Real Madrid will come up against one of the players who is destined to reign on planet football for the next decade.’
There is also a vague suggestion in the piece that Madrid are following Alli closely.
If he stars on Wednesday — and with former Real Madrid star Steve McManaman suggesting in Marca that president Florentino Perez should not try to sign Kane because at €200million (£175m) he is too expensive — interest in Alli will start to grow.
The way Alli fits into Mauricio Pochettino’s 3-4-2-1 system is also a major concern for the Spanish giants. They have faced teams playing three centre-backs and wing backs before this season and on each occasion they have suffered.
It happened against Spurs a fortnight ago and at the weekend when Girona beat them 2-1 with a masterclass of exactly how to play the wing-back system to perfection.
There is a concern that Spurs full backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose can do to Real Madrid at Wembley what Manchester City loanee Pablo Maffeo did to them at Girona’s tight little ground on Sunday.
The England star jokes with team-mate Harry Kane as Spurs put in final preparations for clash
Kane greets Cristiano Ronaldo following Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at Madrid’s home last month
Zinedine Zidane was criticised with the way he tried to deal with the attacking full-backs. His decision to push Marcelo right up to close down Spain Under 21 star Maffeo left a big hole that was then exposed by Girona’s attacking midfielders making diagonal runs into wide areas.
Will the Madrid full-backs be drawn out again? Madrid hope not because they know just how Alli and Christian Eriksen will expose that space in behind.
The other concern how they might let Wembley down by not giving a performance worthy of the arena — this is the club’s debut there after all.
‘The best place, at the worst time’ was the headline on AS’s preview of the game — the usual respectful deference to Wembley Stadium coupled with the acceptance that Madrid are not currently in great shape. There is a worry that they are turning up to the ball looking more like one of the ugly sisters than Cinderella.
Kane was back in action for Tottenham after missing the defeat by Manchester United
There is a concern that Spurs full back Kieran Trippier could expose Real Madrid’s defence
‘Wembley deserves another version of Madrid’ was the front-page headline. The supporters expect a very different performance from the one they saw on Sunday.
But if Tottenham play as Girona did — and their usual tactics and intensity levels suggest they will (and with better players) — then it could be a difficult evening for Zidane.
And for all that he has achieved in under two years as coach at the club, if Real Madrid’s coach is outdone by Pochettino, you can start the countdown to the stories of the Argentine replacing the Frenchman at the end of the season, practically on the final whistle.
Ronaldo appeared in fine spirits as he trained inside England’s national stadium
The vast surroundings of the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium encapsulates Real Madrid’s team