Red-hot Son looks ready to shine in Moscow

Champions League
BT Sport 3/Showcase, 7.45pm

Tottenham suffered Wembley woe on matchday one of the Champions League to pile the pressure on for their trip to Russia, but they can respond in the right manner at CSKA Moscow with Heung-Min Son once again fancied to shine brightest for Spurs.

Group E always looked to be one of the tightest on paper and so it has proved with Monaco pipping Spurs 2-1, while CSKA fought back from two down to earn a point away to Bayer Leverkusen, and this section could be nip and tuck from start to finish.

Where Spurs may hold the edge against the Russians – even without the injured Harry Kane – is in the final third, and Son looks a nice bet to carry on his scoring streak at 23-10.

Son has been the revelation of the season as far as Spurs are concerned. He was almost out of the door in the summer before being persuaded to stay by Mauricio Pochettino, Son scored twice against Stoke on his first appearance of the season and then repeated the dose at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Between those braces Son also had a shot cleared off the line against Monaco at 0-0 and was kept at bay by Sunderland’s inspired stopper Jordan Pickford in a man-of-the-match performance from the South Korean.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero are averaging more shots per game than Son’s 4.7 in the Premier League with a tactical change allowing the former Hamburg and Leverkusen man to play on the left wing seemingly bringing about an upturn in form.

Son, when played, was messed around last season in a variety of positions but he is best when cutting in from the left as he highlighted in the Bundesliga with three consecutive double-figure hauls which earned him a move to White Hart Lane.

Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot last season but he was quite selfish in front of goal, where as replacement Vincent Janssen seems happier to link up more with Tottenham’s abundance of attacking-midfield options.

Son, Dele Alli, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen have the ability to stretch CSKA Moscow’s stodgy defence and extend goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev’s run of 38 Champions League matches without keeping a clean sheet.

Vasili Berezutski and Sergei Ignashevich remain at the heart of CSKA’s defence even though their limitations were seriously exposed in Russia’s pitiful Euro 2016 campaign, with a lack of pace a serious concern.

However, CSKA have scored in their last nine matches and attacking-midfielder Roman Eremenko is a danger to anyone backing Tottenham to win.

The Finland international scored 13 times in the 2013-14 term but bagged just three goals last season.

However, he is back to his best with three in eight Russian Premier League outings as well as notching the equaliser at Leverkusen two weeks ago.

Recommendation
Heung-Min Son to score at any time
1pt 23-10 Betfair

Team news

CSKA Moscow
Vasili Berezutski is a slight doubt and there is also a question mark over Alan Dzagoev’s participation after he sat out Saturday’s 1-1 league draw with Krasnodar.

Tottenham
Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele, Danny Rose and Moussa Sissoko have not travelled to Moscow because of injury.

Key stat
CSKA Moscow have not won any of their last four home matches against English opposition.