Tottenham captain Lloris insists full house at new stadium will encourage team as they face quadruple-chasing Manchester City in quarters tonight
Tottenham players train on the eve of their Champions league quarter-final v Man City yesterday. Pic/AFP
Hugo Lloris has endured a mistake-filled season, but the Tottenham goalkeeper knows his costly blunders will be forgotten if he can lead his side to Champions League success against Manchester City.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lloris will captain Tottenham in tonight's All-English quarter-final first leg showdown with City at the London club's new stadium. And the France star will be firmly in the spotlight on what promises to be a busy evening given City's attacking prowess.
Lloris has been well below his best for much of this term, with his latest error coming in the last minute 2-1 defeat at Liverpool last weekend. Despite such a wretched run of form, Lloris has retained the support of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Hugo Lloris
Part of that belief is grounded in Lloris's role as an influential figure in the dressing room. With Tottenham bidding to reach their first European semi-final since the 1984 UEFA Cup, Lloris knows the team will need the backing of the home support to rattle City. The 62,062-capacity stadium was opened amid much pomp for the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Now Lloris wants Tottenham to tap into the crowd's passion. "At some moments in the game, we feel the power," Lloris said. "I think this can be a help for the team. We will need the crowd for every game. Of course, this is a big moment for the club. To be part of a quarter-final for the Champions League is a great opportunity.
"The target is to make City's life harder. To be ready to compete from the first minute," Lloris said. "We know we're going to have the help of the crowd and so we have just to enjoy the moment. When I say to enjoy, I mean to enjoy running, defending, attacking and everything that can be decisive.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
