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Dominating the opposition was the approach at the club last season but now the focus is on stopping goals at the other end of the field.

Tuesday's 1-0 win versus the Spanish side in Tottenham's Champions League debut was the yet another clean sheet they had achieved in five games this season.

In contrast, they had kept just one solitary at the comparable stage of last season, when the more attack-minded their previous manager was in command.

“We discussed a lot about 'clean sheet mentality' this year because we conceded a lot last year,” Spurs midfielder a key player stated.

Center-back Micky van de Ven noted: “I think we are a tough team to play against, without a doubt. Tactically we are standing really good and we all know what to do, so we're a difficult team to beat.”

The strategy of Spurs against their opponents was in clear contrast to the swashbuckling football played with their ex-coach.

They were much more cautious, even after being presented a fourth-minute opener thanks to a calamitous mistake by the opposition goalkeeper their number one.

Improved Defensive Line but at an Offensive Cost?

Tottenham have conceded just the one goal to date - in the one-nil loss to their Premier League rivals.

That is a significant improvement on how they began the previous campaign, when they conceded five goals in their first five games.

In the domestic league they have kept three already - meaning they are just two away from matching their total for the entire of last season.

The more reliable platform is possibly coming at a cost, however, with their single effort on target against their European foes the another instance in their last three games they had managed such a low number efforts on goal.

The head coach acknowledges this is an area that has to get better.

“We have a very good base to stand on in terms of our defensive organisation and I think it's effective and we gave very little away,” he said.

“This is the European competition against a good team. Moreover, I knew we took a positive step against their London rivals, going forward is the area we need to enhance.”