Bayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham: Score, Reaction from 2016 Champions League Match

Bayer Leverkusen settled for a 0-0 stalemate against Tottenham Hotspur at the BayArena on Tuesday evening as the two teams continued their tug-of-war in UEFA Champions League Group E.

The German hosts had the bulk of shooting opportunities as Javier Hernandez and Stefan Kiessling grew frustrated in front of the opposition net and were arguably unfortunate not to come away with three points.

Vincent Janssen continued to deputise in attack for Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino as Harry Kane continues his recovery on the sidelines, while Son Heung-min started against his old club.

AS Monaco retained their place at the Group E summit after drawing 1-1 in their trip to CSKA Moscow, and football writer Samuel Jay C attested to manager Roger Schmidt's side perhaps deserving more:

Tottenham have built a head of steam in the Premier League—where they currently sit third—this season, and it was the English club who took a superior share of the ball early on at the BayArena.

However, it was the hosts who had the earlier sights on goal in the opening phases, largely through strikers Hernandez and Kiessling, as Match of the Day illustrated the Germans' high press:

That early assault only lasted so long, however, and it wasn't long until the guests started to gain some momentum from their possession.

Dele Alli thought he had opened the scoring approaching the half-hour mark in Germany, but he was unable to direct a free header on target after some fine work from Victor Wanyama to muscle some space free.

FourFourTwo's Chris Miller praised the fine cross of right-back Kieran Trippier, starting in place of regular starter Kyle Walker, although there was room to critique Alli's attempted finish:

The best of the half was yet to come for Pochettino's side, though, as Bernd Leno's goal came under increased fire, and his defence struggled to keep out the onslaught of Spurs chances.

Janssen and Erik Lamela each made contact with the crossbar, as described by German outlet DW Sports, although the north Londoners' search for the breakthrough lingered on:

The Factory Squad returned for the second half with renewed fervour as they went about breaking their duck, and Hernandez almost fired in the opener when a rebounded cross came back into Hugo Lloris' area.

The momentum of the game slowed from there, however, and chances became few and far between as two teams reluctant to concede defeat in Germany waged a war to snatch the three points.

Pochettino made a double change with just over 20 minutes remaining, bringing off Janssen and Lamela in place of midfield duo Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko with the hopes of shoring up his engine room.

Spurs had their share of chances from a series of corners, and despite Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney calling for former Leverkusen star Son to step up, it was the Germans who finished in the ascendancy:

Tottenham will undoubtedly leave the BayArena with a grin on their face after collecting a point from what could be their most difficult group fixture, although a trip to Monaco next month could decide that.

A third clean sheet in four matches is also a record Pochettino can be proud of, but the north Londoners showed they're still finding their feet at the pinnacle of European competition in Tuesday's outing.

Post-Match Reaction

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a run into man-of-the-match contention with his supply of goalmouth saves, and it was a close-range stop on Hernandez in the second period that caught the eye in particular.

Leverkusen might have stole the three points on offer as their own on another evening, but Lloris was happy with a share of the spoils when he spoke to BT Sport (h/t BBC Sport) after the game:

"

We can pleased with a point. I think we missed chances in the first half and at this level if you don't score it is difficult to win games. Then in the second half the game turned. Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think a draw is a good result for us.

We did a job defensively together. We were strong in midfield too, they contributed to getting the point. I think we can congratulate everyone. Let's see what will happen in two weeks.

"

The Frenchman added his side "should have scored in the first half" for it was there Spurs had the better share of their chances, rarely looking like breaking the deadlock after the interval.

Per Leverkusen's official Twitter account, Pochettino also paid special mention to his No. 1, who was responsible for ensuring the north Londoners came away with anything at all:

Spurs will welcome Leverkusen to Wembley Stadium for the return trip on Wednesday, November 2, before they travel to Monaco, where they'll go in search of revenge for the 2-1 loss they suffered at home in September.