Tottenham v RB Leipzig: Champions League last 16 – live!

70 min: Leipzig sit back and stroke it around with great confidence. Time is already on their side.

68 min: Lo Celso has been Tottenham’s best player this evening, their only hope in attack. He dribbles elegantly down the inside-right channel, momentarily threatening to tie Leipzig up in knots. But he can’t find the killer pass.

66 min: Dele Alli is seething. But Mourinho had to do something. Here’s Peter Crosby: “Ah Ben Davies. Ah, Serge. We’re back to the glory days of my youth when Dean Austin and Justin Edinburgh were tearing up and down the flanks letting in goals left, right and centre.”

64 min: Spurs make a double change. Off goes Gedson Fernandes and an affronted Dele Alli; on come Erik Lamela and Tanguy Ndombele.

62 min: Leipzig nearly score after a wonderful sweeping move. There’s acres for Angelino down the left. He rolls a pass inside for Werner, who throws Alderweireld off the scent with a sensational dummy, letting the ball roll to Schick, free on the penalty spot. He has to score, but flashes his shot straight at Lloris. Great save, but he should never have been allowed to make it. What a lovely move that was. Werner is living up to his billing.

61 min: A little space for Bergwijn down the left. He drifts inside then checks back and tees up Lo Celso, who pearls a decent strike towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It’s well read and easily gathered by Gulacsi, though.

60 min: Spurs try to bounce back immediately, Lo Celso bursting down the right into space. But there’s nobody near his pullback, and the visitors can clear with ease. There’s a break on, with the livewire Werner romping down the left, but he’s well marshalled away from the danger zone by Sanchez.

Werner, as cool as a pickled cucumber, fires a low penalty into the bottom left. Lloris had guessed correctly, but even at full stretch couldn’t get anywhere near it. A crucial away goal for the Germans.

57 min: Laimer took a bit of a whack. Looks like he’ll be OK, but there’s a pause before Werner can take the spot kick.

56 min: Leipzig stroke it around the back awhile, then suddenly spring forward, triangulating at speed down the right. The ball’s switched to the other flank. Werner glides inside and slips a pass down the middle for Laimer, who takes a touch, enters the box, and is upended by a crude block by Davies. Foul, booking, penalty. No question.

54 min: A simple ball down the middle causes Sanchez all sorts of problems. He heads it straight into the air and back down towards Werner, who accepts the gift and purchases a cheap corner. Nothing comes from the set piece, but after a slow start to the second half, Leipzig are beginning to reestablish their earlier control.

52 min: Nkunku tries to whip one over the wall and into the top left. It’s not a good effort, the ball sailing serenely over the crossbar.

51 min: Schick bursts down the left and is cynically clipped from behind by Aurier. Not exactly sure why the Spurs full-back hasn’t gone into the book, but there we are. It’s a free kick in a dangerous position, though, 25 yards out, just to the left of the D.

50 min: Leipzig loop crosses into the Spurs box from the left and then from the right. The home defence holds firm, though Werner was again buzzing around their heels with great purpose. It’s very odd that this game remains goalless.

48 min: Spurs launch their first meaningful attack of the evening. Aurier swings a low cross in from the right. Moura extends a leg and forces Gulacsi into a parry from close range. Bergwijn hoicks the rebound harmlessly wide left. But that’s so much better from the hosts, and the home fans respond accordingly.

And we’re off again! Spurs get the second half underway, and there have been no half-time changes. Not long after the restart, the Leipzig fans fling on a few toilet rolls. Everyone’s a critic. They unfurl a banner which reads STAND UP FOR A FAIR PRICE CAP. Applause from all four corners of the stadium. After a clean-up operation, the game eventually restarts.

Spurs weren’t great in that first half, but their fans remain four-square behind the team. “The way I see it, Tottenham have no striker, no defensive midfield, and are keeping a clean sheet against a team in form,” argues Gregory Greene. “Our attackers aren’t fluffing chances (they aren’t getting any honestly), and I’ve seen Tottenham defend worse. I can’t really be mad.” Meanwhile James Hopkin thinks a happy ending is written: “The big question in tonight’s game (apart from which minute with Spurs score a late smash and grab winner) is why do a couple of the RBL players (e.g. Timo Werner) have all-white logos on their shirts and others have full colour red bulls?” I have no idea. To get us all talking about everybody’s favourite nerve-end-bothering beverage?

Half-time entertainment. There have been goals in tonight’s other match. Simon Burnton has the details. But don’t forget to come back, y’all.

Alli busies himself down the left, flatly refusing to give up possession and winning a corner off Halstenberg. The same Leipzig defender heads the corner clear, and there’s that whistle. Spurs will be pleased to get to the break without conceding. Leipzig have been by far the better side, and will wonder how they haven’t bagged a crucial away goal. Some work for Mourinho to do during the break.

45 min: And that half-time whistle will be heard in roughly 60 seconds time.

44 min: Werner probes again down the left. Aurier just about holds him up. Spurs could do with the half-time whistle, though in retrospect that’s been the case since the 26-second mark.

42 min: Here comes Werner again, down the left, winning another corner off Sanchez. The corner, once again, is not worthy of our time or consideration.

41 min: Werner whizzes down the left and nearly finds Schick in the middle, six yards out. Schick would be slamming home a sidefoot, but Sanchez slides in to bundle the ball out for a corner. What a glorious saving tackle. The resulting corner is a complete non-event.

39 min: Mukiele is back on. Good news for Leipzig, as he’s been involved in a lot of their best attacks. Out on the other flank, Fernandes drops a shoulder to get past Angelino, and whips a cross to the near post, but Alli can’t get his head on the ball. Tottenham’s best half-chance of this half-match.

38 min: Mukiele is down in some pain, having taken an accidental whack to the left knee. That knee’s already covered in tape, so he could have aggravated an existing problem. He grimaces an awful lot as he limps off for more treatment.

36 min: Leipzig should be leading. Schick and Halstenberg bus the ball right to left, and find Werner free, just inside the area. Werner’s one on one with Lloris, but slams it straight at the keeper. The resulting corner is a waste of time. That’s a poor effort from the much-heralded Werner, who is on a run of five matches without scoring.

34 min: They kind of have a point, but then Sabitzer, already in the book, gets away with a blatant clip on Fernandes. A free kick, nothing more. The Leipzig captain wants to watch himself here. One more clumsy one and he could be walking.

33 min: Winks shoves Schick in the back but gets away with it and races off up the left touchline. Werner sticks out a leg. There’s no contact, but Winks goes over, and Werner goes into the book. Several Leipzig players, plus the manager, wear affronted looks.

32 min: The corner is sent long and half cleared. From 25 yards, Fernandes slaps a wild shot deep into the stand behind the goal.

31 min: Yet more space for Angelino down the left, sent away by Werner. But there’s nobody to cross to, so he buys a corner off Sanchez. The same defender clears the set piece, and suddenly Lo Celso is tearing down the left in sensational style. He slips a pass forward to Bergwijn, who wins a corner for Spurs. Good end-to-end fun.

29 min: Spurs are struggling to keep hold of possession. Moves consisting of more than two or three passes are at a premium right now. The home fans are getting a little concerned.

27 min: Schick slips a ball down the left for the relentless Angelino, whose low cross is only just missed by a lunging Werner, hoping to poke home from six yards. The flag goes up for offside, belatedly and correctly, but Spurs are giving Angelino so much space on the left. They need to sort this out, because at some point the Leipzig attack is going to click in the final third.

26 min: Spurs enjoy a little possession for the first time in the game. They don’t go anywhere in particular, but that should give them a little confidence in midfield, where they’ve been thoroughly out-passed so far.

24 min: The right wing-back Mukiele flashes a crossfield ball towards his opposite number Angelino, whose cross-cum-shot is blocked. Leipzig are switching the play time and again, in the style of the reigning champions Liverpool. Julian Nagelsmann less Baby Mourinho, more Baby Klopp.

22 min: Atalanta have taken an early lead in their tie with Valencia. Hans Hateboer with the opening goal on 16 minutes in that one. Simon Burnton is all over that one.

20 min: The Tottenham plan is obviously to play on the break. Moura gets the better of Ampadu under a long ball, but can’t see off Halstenberg. For a second, it looked as though he might break free. But the defender purchases a cheap free kick and Leipzig are off back up the other end, pinging the ball around once more.

19 min: Werner bursts down the left and finds Schick in the middle. Schick can’t get either a header or shot away, and a combination of Sanchez and Winks manage to half-clear. Angelino comes again, sending a fizzer down Lloris’s throat from a tight angle on the left. Spurs are getting mauled at the moment.

17 min: Schick rises miles above Davies and sends a downward header inches wide of the bottom right. Had that been on target, it was a goal; Lloris was rooted to the spot. Leipzig are getting closer and closer.

16 min: An awful lot of space for Werner down the left. He nearly frees the overlapping Sabitzer with a cute pass, but Sanchez reads play and pokes out for a corner. From which …

14 min: Ampadu sprays a pass wide left for Angelino, who hits a first-time volleyed cross down the corridor of uncertainty. Nobody in black, red and blue dashes has taken a gamble, and there are no scares for Spurs.

12 min: Laimer tries to send Werner clear down the left. The striker’s in space, but the pass is poor and sails out harmlessly for a goal kick. Spurs try to counter, but Bergwijn is clipped from behind by Sabitzer, and it’s now one yellow card apiece. There’s little sense that this fast, open game will end goalless, and it might not end with a full complement of players either.

10 min: Lo Celso is booked for a late trip on Sabitzer, who was hoping to burst off down the left. The Spurs man doesn’t bother complaining, he was bang to rights. A long evening on a yellow, one poor challenge away from an early shower, stretches out ahead.

9 min: Angelino dinks a little pass down the inside left for Schick, who whistles a shot towards the bottom left. Lloris is behind it all the way.

8 min: Perhaps the best form of defence is attack. Lo Celso slips a ball down the left that forces Mukiele into conceding a corner. The set piece is only half cleared, but Spurs come back again down the left, Lo Celso finding Bergwijn, who curls towards the bottom right. Gulacsi sticks out a strong hand, and the flag goes up for offside. But that’s better from the home side. Somewhere, in a parallel universe, it’s 1-1.

6 min: Mukiele drives down the right and finds Werner on the edge of the box. Winks throws himself in the way of a shot. Great block, but once again Leipzig opened Spurs up with ease, and Spurs surely can’t keep making last-ditch blocks and saves all night.

4 min: Such an electric start by the visitors. Four efforts on goal within the first 120 seconds. Three of them very decent chances. Some decent last-ditch defending by Spurs, but that’ll have rattled them. Leipzig coming at them from all angles.

2 min: What a start this is by Leipzig! Werner’s snap effort from six yards is blocked by Sanchez. The ball breaks left to Angelino, who hammers a shot straight at Lloris from a tight angle. Lloris deflects the ball onto the post and away. The visitors recycle possession, Mukiele and Werner buzzing down the inside right and forcing Lloris to turn the ball around the post. The flag goes up for offside to release the pressure. But wow.

And we’re off! Leipzig get the first leg of this round-of-16 tie underway. A huge roar crackles the north London air. And after 26 seconds, Schick juggles the ball down the middle and sends a decent effort bouncing inches wide of the right-hand post.

The teams are out! A cracking Champions League atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs wear their famous lilywhite, while Leipzig sport their bespoke European away shirt, a cascade of black, red and blue dabs and dashes that wouldn’t look out of place in Claude Monet’s garden. In other shirt news, Harry Kane has presented Hannah and Danny Greaves, granddaughter and son of the absurdly brilliant former Spurs striker Jimmy, with a Spurs top to celebrate the living legend’s 80th birthday tomorrow. On the back: GREAVES 80. If you get a chance to watch the new BT Sport documentary about Greavsie, snatch it with both hands. A marvellous celebration of the greatest English striker of all time. Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute!

Julian ‘Baby Mourinho’ Nagelsmann, who at 32 is only 22 years older than the club he manages, talks to BT Sport. “It is the first time at this stage for Leipzig, so we are all excited. We are a young team, perhaps a bit nervous, but we will try to do our own style. It is a great stadium and it’s a pleasure to be here. It is the same for Tottenham and Leipzig, we have injured players. But I think Ethan Ampadu will do well. This is not a tactical battle between the managers, it is about the players, the performance of the guys. The emotional things are the more important, if you can deal with the pressure.”

If Spurs win this evening, Jose Mourinho will break the all-time record for victories as a manager in the knockout stage of the Champions League. He’s currently tied on 27 wins with Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola. A 28th knockout victory will catapult him to the top of that particular tree, though of course Ancelotti has won the competition three times, as opposed to everyone else’s two. Ancelotti also has two European Cup wins as a player to his name (Pep has one) so his medal haul knocks the other three into a cocked hat.

A pre-match chat with Jose Mourinho. “This is a half-match. Too many matches in the knockout stage of the Champions League are thought of emotionally as one match. But this is only a half-match. So we need to be very intelligent in our approach, knowing what we have and what we don’t have, and be positive with a good feeling. We are going to play against a team that normally play with five at the back, are very consistent and very fast. So I think a very difficult match. But we know what to do. Emotional control. It is not about fighting and running. We need to be clinical with our chances, but also knowing how to manage the game and the tempo. It is February, we are fighting for the top four, we are in the knockouts, and the last 16 of the FA Cup, so it is a big effort from the boys to be here. I think the crowd will be with them.”

Gedson Fernandes makes his Champions League debut for Spurs. His presence allows Giovani Lo Celso to move upfield in the space left by the injured Son Heung-min.

Leipzig’s defensive crisis means a start for Ethan Ampadu, on loan from Chelsea. One-time Everton striker Ademola Lookman is on the bench.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Winks, Fernandes, Lo Celso, Alli, Bergwijn, Lucas Moura.
Subs: Vertonghen, Lamela, Dier, Gazzaniga, Ndombele, Skipp, Tanganga.

RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Mukiele, Klostermann, Halstenberg, Angelino, Laimer, Ampadu, Sabitzer, Nkunku, Schick, Werner.
Subs: Haidara, Poulsen, Forsberg, Lookman, Wolf, Olmo, Mvogo.

Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey).

Only three teams have ever lifted the European Cup the season after tasting defeat in the final: Milan in 1994, Bayern Munich in 2013 and Liverpool last year. Three in 63 seasons; that’s a one-in-21 hit rate. If history counts for anything, Tottenham Hotspur have their work cut out if they’re to go one better than last season. On behalf of all Spurs fans: bah.

But hold on! Spin it another way, and the feat has been achieved twice in the last seven seasons. It’s far from a pipe dream in the modern game. So on behalf of all Spurs fans: yay!

Mind you, the first knockout hurdle on the road to Istanbul looks a toughie. And not just because Spurs lost 7-2 the last time a German team came to N17, a mere four months ago. Bayern Munich, Tottenham’s tormentors that horrific evening, are currently leading the Bundesliga, but they’re being pursued all the way by tonight’s visitors RB Leipzig. The club might only be celebrating its 11th birthday come May, but this is clearly a team capable of mixing it with the older boys. So you’ll forgive Spurs, 137, if they feel a little trepidation tonight.

It doesn’t help that Spurs will be without their first-choice front line of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. But Leipzig have defensive worries: Dayot Upamecano is suspended while Ibrahima Konate and Willi Orban are out injured. Ethan Ampadu, on loan from Chelsea, may get a start as a result. So it’s swings and roundabouts. Throw in the fact that Leipzig have only won one of their last five in all competitions, while Spurs are three wins on the bounce, and we’ve got ourselves a game. It’s on!

Kick off: 8pm GMT.