Hoffenheim vs Tottenham Hotspur: UEFA Europa League live text, stats and head-to-head

On January 24, 2025By Littum

Are Spurs paying the pressing costs?published at 16:59 Greenwich Mean Time

Hoffenheim v Tottenham (17.45 GMT)

Katie Stafford
BBC Sports

Van de Ven explains his injury to a physiotherapist while sitting on the pitch

Running, sprinting and tormenting the opposition are the hallmarks of a team that is often praised by pundits and fans.

Tottenham have been the best pressing team in the Premier League this season, winning the most high turnovers and limiting their opponents to the fewest passes before trying to win the ball back.

But in Tottenham’s case, is the physical cost too high?

It has been another injury-plagued season for Ange Postecoglou’s men, with players from all over the pitch affected, but none more so than their back line.

This season alone, seven players have suffered a hamstring injury, some of whom have experienced the injury more than once.

Of these seven, three are defenders and four are forwards. Wilson Odobert, who has undergone surgery, Timo Werner, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie remain sidelined.

According to the NHS website, tired muscles are more likely to be strained and this is consistent with Tottenham’s tight fixture schedule, which has seen them play every third day for most of the season.