Pochettino inching closer to his big breakthrough

LONDON - Mauricio Pochettino faces a defining moment as the Tottenham Hotspur boss aims to take another step towards joining the managerial elite by masterminding a Champions League triumph over Juventus on Wednesday.

Long regarded as one of the sport's brightest young managers, Pochettino can use this season's Champions League to reach the ratified air inhabited by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone.

Like his former Argentina teammate Simeone, Pochettino is coveted by some of Europe's biggest clubs.