With two teams left in the Champions League draw for Tottenham, it seemed almost certain that Barcelona would be making the trip to north London in February in what would have potentially been the hardest tie for Spurs, yet fate and the football Gods had other ideas.
But, with Barcelona and RB Leipzig the last remaining teams to be drawn out, it was the Bundesliga side that emerged from the pot to set-up an enticing encounter with Spurs in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, and for Jose Mourinho, it was a massive bullet dodged for Tottenham.
Can Tottenham win the Champions League this season?
Yes, we showed last year we can pull off magic
No, we should focus elsewhere
Indeed, heading into the draw, being paired with either Leipzig or Valencia would have been the dream situation for Tottenham other sides such as PSG, Juventus and the aforementioned Barcelona also seen as potential opponents in the next round of the Champions League, yet just like last year in which Spurs embarked on a fairy-tale run to the final, it was a team that, on paper at least, looked beatable that was partnered with the Premier League team in the form of Borussia Dortmund.
Of course, being drawn with RB Leipzig doesn’t automatically ensure passage to the next round of the Champions League.
After all, the east German side have done brilliantly to make it the knockout stage of Europe’s premium competition under Julian Nagelsmann, who became the youngest manager in Champions League history to progress to the Round of 16, and domestically, Leipzig have been sensational with Die Roten Bullen currently top of the Bundesliga table.
Leipzig will be a good test for Spurs as to if the north London side can repeat the magic they produced last season, which started with the Premier League club dismantling Borussia Dortmund who too were top of the Bundesliga, but out of all the clubs Tottenham could have faced, the German team would have been many supporters first choice.