Big chance for James Maddison to shine for Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ Alkmaar | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur will face AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie, and a draw is not an option for them.

Spurs lost 1-0 in the first leg and they need a strong performance to reach the last eight of this competition. Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies are fit to play and Ange Postecoglou is likely to make some big changes for this game.

Tottenham need to score goals, and for that, they need composure and creativity in midfield. The stage is nicely set for James Maddison to shine.

The 28-year-old, who joined Spurs for £40 million from Leicester City, hasn’t started in as many games as he might have hoped this season. Considering the fact that Spurs have gone through a huge injury crisis this season, one would expect Maddison to feature more regularly.

The England midfielder has started 17 Premier League games this season, and a further nine have come from the bench. He has made 14 goal contributions in that time, and he should be among the first names in the starting line-up.

His situation is very interesting, and it has baffled many pundits, including Gary Lineker.

Speaking on the Rest is Football recently, Lineker suggested that something may have happened with Maddison behind the scenes and hinted at a fallout with Postecoglou.

Lineker said: “Maddison late coming off the bench again, and when he comes on, he always looks the part, and plays some really good football. I’m a bit of a loss as what’s happened there. I wonder whether there’s been a bit of a fall-out.”

However, Postecoglou needs him tonight. With Rodrigo Bentancur unavailable, Spurs need his passing masterclass and guile to break Alkmaar’s defence. If Maddison still makes the bench tonight, Lineker’s theory will get more credence.

The Europa League massive clash tonight presents a big chance for Maddison to grab the headlines and become a hero with a stellar performance.