Juventus test offers Tottenham's Harry Kane a stage to prove he is world class

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Tony Evans12 February 2018

Compliments come in many forms. On Saturday, Arsene Wenger testified to Harry Kane’s ability by saying that Arsenal were "caught by a super striker who is one of the best in the world" in Tottenham’s 1-0 victory in the north London derby.

Pep Guardiola’s praise was more backhanded; the Manchester City manager dismissively called Spurs "the Harry Kane team" earlier in the season.

In Turin, in the Champions League knockout round first leg against Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri will pay tribute to the striker in the robust manner that Italian coaches reserve for top-class opponents.

The Juve coach will send out his defence with one simple instruction: stop Kane.

The Serie A side will test the 24-year-old’s credentials in a manner that even Guardiola’s City cannot. Juve have reached two of the past three Champions League finals.

They have won six consecutive Scudettos. Even more pertinently, Kane will be pitting his wits against a back four who have conceded just one goal in 16 games.

The Spurs striker is used to being closely marked. At Wembley, Arsenal sat deep to deny Kane space.

In Pictures | Tottenham vs Arsenal north London derby | 10/02/2018

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Yet just flooding the zones in and around the penalty area is not sufficient to stop such a fine forward.

Even in the goalless first half, Wenger’s packed defence rarely looked organised. They lacked coherence and were prone to panic. Against lesser forwards, filling the territory in front of the goalkeeper with bodies might just work.

Not versus Kane. He was able to fashion a headed chance.

There will be no confusion or fear in Juve’s ranks. The core of their success is defensive discipline. The back line is marshalled by Giorgio Chiellini and the 33-year-old knows every trick in the book.

AFP/Getty Images

Spurs are fortunate that Chiellini’s partner in crime, Andrea Barzagli, is likely to miss the game through injury but Allegri is certain to have a plan to contain Kane.

No one should doubt the know-how and craftiness of this Juventus side. On Friday they warmed up for Tottenham with a 2-0 win away to Fiorentina.

With the scores at 0-0, the home side were awarded a penalty. Allegri’s players held up the spot-kick for three minutes by repeatedly encroaching until the referee finally consulted VAR, reversed the decision and awarded Juve a free-kick for offside.

Mauricio Pochettino would no doubt approve. Last week the Spurs boss talked about "tricking your opponents" while dismissing the severity of Dele Alli’s dive at Anfield.

Tomorrow, the Spurs manager is up against a team considerably better versed than his own in the dark arts of winning matches.

This means that there will be almost as much pressure on Alli as on Kane. Allergri knows that the midfielder’s temperament is suspect at moments of intense pressure.

AFP/Getty Images

The Italian champions will work hard on disrupting the 21-year-old’s rhythm and will examine his mental toughness. Alli’s running from deep will be vital in dragging Juventus out of shape. He will need to be at his most disciplined in Turin.

Spurs are at their best when they impose a quick tempo on games - the home victories over Liverpool and Manchester United and the second half against Arsenal stand out - but Juve are masters at inflicting their own pace on matches. They have drawn criticism for their pragmatic approach, especially when playing against title rivals.

They will keep things tight but will pounce on any errors by Pochettino’s side. Against Arsenal, Spurs were too slack in possession inside the opposition half and surrendered the ball too easily. Wenger rued his side’s inability to capitalise on the break. Juventus will not make the same mistake.

In a tight tie, Kane could be the crucial factor. His movement, industry and awareness have made him one of the most coveted strikers in football.

Turin is a stage where he can make the step up to world class.

Giuseppe CacaceAFP/Getty Images

The game will be as much a test of Tottenham’s composure as their ability. This year has started well for Spurs.

If they keep their heads tomorrow and Kane is at his best, it can get even better.

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