Tottenham’s Champions League hopes are now in real danger as they slumped to another damaging home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen at Wembley.
Kevin Kampl’s cool 65th-minute finish condemned Spurs to a second-successive loss in this competition at their temporary home while White Hart Lane is being rebuilt.
Spurs now lie third in Group E behind Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen and are under serious threat of failing to reach the knockout phase with two games left away to the French side and at home to CSKA Moscow.
Leverkusen were the livelier side throughout as Spurs desperately missed injured forward Harry Kane. Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez came close in the first half and forced a save from Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris at the end.
Spurs offered a rally of sorts after they went behind, with Kyle Walker shooting wide and Eric Dier hitting the bar with a late free-kick, but the jeers at the final whistle told their own story.
Spurs cannot complain about lack of support at their temporary Champions League home – they just cannot win any games there.
This was their sixth-successive loss at Wembley, including domestic games, and another damaging loss on the back of their opening reverse against Monaco.
The stats on support are hugely impressive. The attendance of 85,512 was the highest Tottenham home crowd, highest English club home Champions League crowd and the highest English “home attendance”.
And yet it failed to inspire a Spurs side that was flat and lacking in composure, quality and threat for long periods.
They may have pointed to a reasonable penalty shout when Dele Alli went down with the scores level early in the second half, but something is amiss.
Is it Wembley’s wide open spaces? Is it simply unfamiliar surroundings? Whatever it is, Spurs do not look or feel at home yet.
It is a problem they will need to cure for their final group game here against CSKA Moscow, which follows a tough test away to Monaco on Wednesday, 7 December.
(BBC Sport)
