Fixture Focus - Spurs (16 Feb 2017)

KAA Gent vs Tottenham Hotspur

(Europa League Round of 32, 1st Leg)

European action is back for Spurs in the form of the Europa League, with the first game being away to the Belgian side Gent.

Spurs had gone back to Earth with the weekend loss to Liverpool, but it should not be difficult for them to get a lift off again. With no league game until 26 Feb, Pochettino's short term concerns would be the FA Cup game against Fulham this weekend and the second leg of this Europa fixture on 23 Feb. Expect a 70% lineup of first teamers for this game.

Gent has one statistical advantage to its side; Spurs had not won in Belgium before. Still, manager Vanhaezebrouck is not taking any chances and would be treating the visitors seriously.

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (17 Mar 2016)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund

(Europa League Round of 16, 2nd Leg)

An Europa League quarter final spot is at stake in this game, and the odds seem to favour the German side.

Pochettino had changed half the squad in last week's first leg game against Dortmund, which saw us being drubbed 3-0. Though this decision had brought some questions, for this return leg he did state that he would be trying to turn the game around. First teamers such as Kane, Lamela and Alli are poised to start.

Tuchel's Dortmund is coming to this game with a huge goal advantage. They have been on a good form lately in the Bundesliga and is looking to carry on that momentum in this fixture. A goal scored in the Lane would bring them a step closer to the quarter finals.

I have a feeling this could be our last European game for the season.

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (10 Mar 2016)

Borussia Dortmund vs Tottenham Hotspur

(Europa League, Round of 16, First Leg)

Spurs is travelling to Germany for the 1st leg of the Europa League Round of 16. This match, I would say, is going to be one of the toughest Spurs is going to face. 

And Pochettino knows this, too, so there is a likelihood that he would bring the first teamers there, with the exception of Alli as he was suspended. Son would probably be no stranger to this stadium as he had played in the Bundesliga for a while.

Dortmund is currently riding high in the Bundesliga, at second place chasing leaders Bayern Munich (much like our situation right now), with whom they had drawn in a goalless game just over the weekend. Quality players such as Hummels and ex-Manchester United Kagawa is ready for us.

Both sides have never met in UEFA competitions, so this would be a mouthwatering match.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 26 November 2015)

 

FC Qarabag vs Tottenham Hotspur

 

Coming off one of the best performances at the Lane this season, the lads will travel to Azebaijan for this group match.

 

Starters that have not travelled include Dembele, Walker and Rose while the likes of Eriksen, Kane and Lloris were included. With an important match against Chelsea on the weekend, I expect that the gaffer will field a mixture of starters and 2nd stringers to keep everyone fresh. Dele Alli will play as he will be suspended for Sunday’s league match.  I predict a tough fought match ending in a score draw.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 23 October 2015)

 

Anderlecht vs Tottenham Hotspur

 

Spurs fans will undoubtedly remember our visit in 1984 to Anderlecht where penalty kicks after extra time gave Spurs the European Cup win.

 

Anderlecht are without a win so far in the group stages. We have the return of Ryan Mason but Son, Chadli and Bentaleb are still out injured. There’s also talk of resting Kane which means Pochettino is likely to field a first 11 comprising a mixture of first stringers and our reserves. Who can take the place of Kane up front if he is rested? Maybe it is time for Clinton N’Jie to shine.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa League, 1 Oct 2015)

 

Monaco vs Tottenham Hotspur

 

Coming off a resounding result over the weekend against Manchester City, the team is full of confidence and will want to get a result away from home in this cup competition.

 

Monaco has a dangerous striker in El Shaarawy and will enjoy home field advantage tonight. Spurs on the other hand will field a mixture of starters and 2nd team players in an effort to keep key players fresh. Son is out injured so we will see Kane upfront supported by Chadli, Eriksen and Townsend. Expect Clinton N’Jie to get a run out in the 2nd half especially since he would be familiar with Monaco’s style coming from the French leagues.

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (17 Sep 2015)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag FK

(Europa League Group Match #1)

We are now entering the Europa League proper, starting with our first game of Group J.

For today's game, we are playing hosts to Qarabag FK, the last season's champion of the Azerbaijan Premier League. Spurs are playing this game without the services of Mason, Dembele and Eriksen. Good news is Kane is up and ready to go, eager to start a goal account this season.

Not much is known about our opponents' lineup, but they knocked out Young Boys in the play-offs to secure a place in the Europa League group stage, so we must not be complacent against them.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 26 February 2015)

 

Fiorentina vs Tottenham Hotspur 

 

The first leg ended in a 1 – 1 draw. So with the Capital One Cup final looming this weekend, it will not be easy for Pochettino to pick his starting 11.

 

If it were up to me, I would pick the strongest side possible for  the cup final and pick a B side that is good enough to get us progressing to the next stage of the Europa Cup. Expect an open match on Thursday as we know that short of a win, we will need to get at least a 2-2 draw to prevent the match from going to extra time.

 

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 20 February 2015)

 

Tottenham Hotspur vs Fiorentina 

 

After a busy season of fixtures, the lads would have had about 9 days between competitive matches and be ready for another busy phase of the season that culminates with the Capital One Cup final at the beginning of March.

 

The result at Anfield would serve to fire up the resolve of the team and we will come out with guns blazing to try to get a strong result to take to the away leg. Fiorentina’s Juan Vargas has been prolific in this competition but I know that with the home fans backing the team up, we just need to stay focus and create our openings like we’ve done in the Arsenal and Chelsea matches.

 

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (11 Dec 2014)

Beşiktaş J.K. vs Tottenham Hotspur

(Europa League Group Stage)

This is the last game of the group stage of the Europa League. Although both Spurs and their Turkish opponents Besiktas are guaranteed a spot each in the Round of 32, this game will determine who shall top the group.

It is confirmed that Adebayor is not on the plane to Istanbul, but Walker would be making a return after a long injury.

On the Turkish side, star striker Demba Ba is out with a broken toe.

With the infamous Christmas crunch coming, it is better for our boys to get over this game smoothly and concentrate on the league.

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (27 Nov 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur vs FK Partizan

(Europa League Group Stage)

Emerging from a win against Hull over the last weekend, Spurs is set to reignite their winning ways when the Serbian side comes visiting at the Lane.

The last encounter with Partizan ended with a draw, but a win tonight would guarantee Spurs’ place in the Round of 32. However, Pochettino is facing selection problems with many players sidelined due to injuries and suspension, so there might be a chance where he may dig into the reserve squad.

Partizan’s European campaign is considered as over, but they could still play the role of party spoilers and would display what most people said as “the last burst of fire”.

Game on. COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 7 November 2014)

Asteras Tripoli vs Tottenham Hotspur

Adebayor, Kaboul and Lennon have not travelled to Greece with the team this midweek. This means that Kane and Soldado are favored to start up front for us. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as many are saying that Soldado and Kane are the preferred pairing rather than with Adebayor. So this match will give the gaffer another opportunity to test things out. Kane is the in-form forward so here’s hoping he continues the fine performances with another goal or two.

 

In other news, Vorm will get the start as Lloris got himself “suspended” in the previous fixture. I think it was his way of getting Vorm some more competitive playing time to be honest.

 

Group C is quite tight so a win tonight would help us keep pace with Besiktas which should easily dispatch Partizan Belgrade.

 

Let’s do this!

 

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (23 Oct 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Asteras Tripolis FC

(Europa League Group Stage)

Spurs is back into Europa action after a dismal 4-1 loss to Manchester City over the weekend, facing Greek side Asteras Tripolis at White Hart Lane.

Since the group stage began, Spurs had been held to draws against the other 2 teams in Group C. Pochettino would have to be astute and prudent to achieve maximum results from this match as well as the next 2, an EPL fixture and a League Cup game, all coming within 6 days. The pattern of having separate teams for league and cup games, with few crossovers, is the obvious tactic now, but I personally felt more could be done by “pushing the envelope” of having more crossovers to strengthen the team.

Asteras Tripolis, who is now topping Group C, came a long way from the second qualifying round to the group stage. Their current manager, Vergetis, was hailed as a rising coaching star in Greek football. Watch out for their strikers, most of them sharing Messi’s nationality.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa, 2 October 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Besiktas

Euro nights start at the Lane again!

 

Besiktas are a good side – with good players that compete at the top of the Turkish Super Lig. This season, Besiktas have started well, unbeaten from their first 4 games in the League with 2 wins and 2 draws. A familiar face in Demba Ba will be leading the attack from the front for the visitors.

 

The team news for Spurs is that Kyle Walker (pelvis) remains out, while Danny Rose (knock) and Etienne Capoue (knock) are doubts, and will probably be rested even if they are fit. The team will change, that’s for sure. Ben Davies, Nabil Bentaleb, Andros Townsend & Roberto Soldado look to start.

 

This is a toughie and I expect a hard fought battle. Hopefully we are able to build on the morale boosting draw we got at the weekend and put in a good shift tonight.

 

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (18 Sep 2014)

FK Partizan vs Tottenham Hotspur

 (Europa League Group Stage)

Kicking off the Europa League campaign proper, Spurs will be travelling to Serbia to face FK Partizan, better known as Partizan Belgrade, who were second in the Serbian League last season.

Pochettino had indicated he would be shuffling players for the plane to Serbia, keeping in mind the weekend EPL game against WBA. Adebayor, Kaboul and Chadli remained behind, but Soldado, new keeper Vorm and Fazio are likely to be in the team lineup.

Partizan would be without their suspended striker Skuletic.

With the new rule stipulating that Europa League winners able to qualify for the Champions League next season, this competition will take a very interesting turn, both on the field and off.

COYS!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (28 Aug 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur vs AEL Limassol FC

(Europa League Qualifying Stage)

First, I would like to wish Dawson all the best with his departure from Spurs. You have did us proud.

With 2 precious away goals in Cyprus, Spurs looks likely to qualify for the Europa League group stage. However, it is preferable to be cautious and conservative, as what Limassol had showed us in the first leg that they could still spring a surprise.

Lamela in his past few games had demonstrated his worth, and we sure know what we had missed last season. Pochettino would be approaching this game with caution, considering the upcoming league game with Liverpool.

I only have 4 words to say to end this post - Come On You Spurs!

Fixture Focus - Spurs (21 Aug 2014)

AEL Limassol FC vs Tottenham Hotspur

(Europa League Qualifying Stage)

Spurs' Europa campaign will begin on the warm Mediterranean island of Cyprus, facing last season's Cypriot First Division runner-up, AEL Limassol.

This game marks Pochettino's first competitive European outing in his career, and very likely he would want to make his first impression lasts. Still toying around the formation and tactics (methinks), we could see players who are not in the first team at West Ham's game on the plane to Cyprus, with names such as Soldado, Paulinho and Davies as the likely candidates.

AEL Limassol are no pushovers themselves as they were the Cypriot champions just 2 seasons ago, and are experienced in European competitions. Their squad, like ours, boasts an international presence with players coming from Brazil, Spain, Portugal, etc.

COYS!

 

Fixture Focus - Spurs (20 March 2014)

Sport Lisboa e Benfica vs Tottenham Hotspur

(Europa League Round of 16, Second Leg)

European dreams are slowly fading away as past league defeats and poor showing at home against our Portuguese opponents hampered our Champions League qualification and Europa silverware respectively. Sherwood sure have a very steep uphill to climb now.

With a 1-3 deficit, Spurs will be hoping to garner some precious away goals when we visit Benfica’s home ground at Lisbon. But to make matters worse, our regular defenders would not be there to guard our goals, with Vertonghen (suspended), Dawson and Chiriches (injured) out, and Kaboul a doubtful. A very tall order to overcome the game indeed.

Benfica’s European home game record is impressive, with just 1 defeat all the way back in 2012. Although Jesus’ side have 1 suspension in the form of centre defender Silvio, his Portuguese and Latin American ensemble would likely cause more chaos for our boys.

In bowling terms, we had just secured a turkey, but this turkey is not about 3 strikes in a row, but 3 defeats instead. Hope (emphasis bold) we do not get a four-bagger with this one.

COYS!

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa League, 14 March 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur v Benfica

The team will be aiming to bounce back from last Saturday’s debacle.

 

We will be facing a very strong Primeira Liga side who will be looking to do well in this competition after having dropped out of the Champions League due to technicalities in the group stage. They have goal scoring prowess in Lima and Rodrigo and I do hope we have a back line to handle the pressure. Spurs have done well so far in this competition and the come from behind win against Dnipro was testament to that.

As I said before, this is a good chance for us to get some silverware this season so I hope Sherwood fields his best squad to get a good result at home. I know we have the North London Derby on Sunday looming which is a match all Spurs fans want the team to win as well. I do believe that if we play to our potential, we can come away with a slim victory against Benfica.

Fixture Focus–Spurs (Europa Cup, 28 Feb 2014)

Tottenham Hotspur v Dnipro

Dnipro at home on Thursday night and a much bigger game for Tim Sherwood than he would’ve wished to be the case this time last week.

Injuries mean that the back four picks itself. Dnipro’s speed on the break means that Brad, presumably, is unlikely to be in for a quiet night. Konoplyanka is the man to watch so whoever plays at right back is in for an interesting evening. Naughton has said he wants to play first team right back and tonight he should show whether he can hang with the best.

This is our only chance of silverware this season and it remains to be seen whether Sherwood feels it is worth competing on the cup front as well as challenging for the lucrative Champions League spots. We have the squad to do both but the question remains, do we have the tactics to make it so. Will Soldado show that he is the striker worth every penny of his transfer fee? The gaffer has spoken to him and let’s hope “the soldier” feels fired up for tonight now that Defoe is off to Canada.