Lars Bender says Bayer Leverkusen intend to defend from the front in their Champions League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur tonight.

The Bundesliga outfit have employed a high pressing style under Roger Schmidt and have turned a corner in recent weeks to lose just one of their last four league games.

There is little chance of Leverkusen departing from their tried and tested methods and Bender insists they will look to stop Spurs from playing.

“We always try to defend from the front and keep the opposition away from our goal,” he told BT Sport.

“Maybe it didn’t work so well at the start of the season but we are more in our rhythm and settled now.

Leverkusen head into tonight’s match knowing defeat would see them fall four points behind Spurs after drawing their first two games of the campaign.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has stressed the importance of taking all three points from the Bay Arena given his sides current position a point behind group leaders AS Monaco.

Bender feels Leverkusen need a similarly positive result and says the next two group games, which are both against Tottenham, will shape their fortune in Europe this season.

“They had a very good season last year and are really looking to build on that. We know it will be a really tough game, a big game,” he said.

“These two games could probably prove decisive and the most important thing is the home game.

“To keep the game tight and maintain our chances of qualification, we have to win the home game.”