Real Madrid’s Bernabeu bearpit is bound to bring on the nerves for Tottenham, says Frank Lampard

They may not admit it, but the Tottenham players will be overawed when they walk out to face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu tonight.

This young squad will have a similar feeling to the one I had with Chelsea when we faced Barcelona for the first time in 2005 and they had Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o in the side.

It was a real eye-opener for me and the team over what the top level of the sport is. I remember Eto’o was quicker than any player I had ever seen and Ronaldinho was the most skilful.

There will be lessons for all of the Spurs players and the atmosphere will be daunting, to say the least.

But if you have enough about you at this level, you overcome it in whatever way. I’m not saying Spurs need to play the beautiful game and beat them comfortably. If they can go there and show something, that they can compete individually and collectively with a team like Real, then they will take something from it no matter what.

Spurs are a good team, but these are the kind of games where they can prove they can compete with the very best. Real certainly are that.

We all know how good Cristiano Ronaldo is, but it is their midfield which is particularly impressive for me. I have admired Luka Modric for some time and played against him when he was at Tottenham. I always knew he was a very good footballer, but when he was in the Premier League I didn’t really know how much he could hurt a defence in behind.

He was always good on the ball, but I wouldn’t say he could necessarily dominate a game. Since he has gone to Spain, he has become a world-class midfielder, going to the top, top level. His rise — and what he has done at Madrid - has been incredible.

More has been made over the years of Gareth Bale leaving Spurs for Madrid than Modric. I think it was simply because he is a low-key figure, so even though we know what a great player he is, he doesn’t attract the limelight. Perhaps because of that he doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves.

When Madrid made their move to buy him five years ago, it elevated him. He could have stayed at Tottenham, but Real gave him that platform of playing Champions League football every year and the chance to combine with massive players around him.

​Luka would have made Tottenham stronger if they’d been able to keep him, however, it was a great move to make. Spurs have now seen great talent in Modric and Bale taken by Real, so they must try and make sure that Harry Kane or Dele Alli don’t go too in the future.

The reality is that big clubs will come calling for these two at some stage if they keep playing the way they are. The decision Spurs have to make long term is to retain them and keep building a team around them. They have made really good steps, but that extra step - to win the League and compete for the Champions League - requires keeping them and adding to it. That’s where the next question is.

In the Real side, Modric links up with Toni Kroos, someone I also played against in my career - on this occasion it was the 2012 Champions League Final. I already felt the huge quality he had at that point but, again, he has taken it to new levels.

He just appears to play the game in second gear, he never looks stressed, he receives the ball everywhere and is so intelligent with his passing.

But on top of those two, there is the grit provided by Casemiro, plus the guile and quality of Isco.

For me, that quartet is the best midfield in club football. They are a joy to watch and I love seeing them in action. Unfortunately for Mauricio Pochettino, he has a few injury problems, which would allow him to do better - for example, Victor Wanyama is injured and Alli is suspended. Wanyama would stiffen up their midfield. Obviously, Pochettino could play Harry Winks in there, but he’d like his full pool of players to choose from to nullify Real. But this challenge is what the Champions League is all about.

Tottenham have already put themselves in a decent position going into this game by winning their first two group matches.

They can kind of go into it with a little bit of comfort. Not much is expected of them and, if the worst happens, they will have other opportunities in the group to go through.

For Tottenham to get something out of this game they have to be aware of Real’s threats and try to nullify them. I don’t see Spurs being gung-ho like they are in the Premier League, but they must not take away all of their attributes either. They need to accept Real will have most of the possession and use the counter-attack, the ability of Kane, to try and score there. You have to adapt your game, but Pochettino has the nous to do that.

Real have conceded six times at home in their last eight Champions League matches, so they can be vulnerable at the back. From Real’s point of view, when you have been as successful as they have been, there can be lulls.

They have started the season a bit subdued. Their position in La Liga, where they are already five points behind Barcelona, tells you that.

When you are at that level, there is always a danger of overconfidence bringing you down.

Spurs must try to capitalise if that’s the case this evening.

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