Tottenham Look to Bounce Back in Europe Against Qarabag FK

Tottenham Hotspur Host Qarabag FK in Europa League Return

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make their return to European competition as they host Azeri champions Qarabag FK in the Europa League on Thursday. Manager Ange Postecoglou will be pleased to have avoided a long journey to Azerbaijan by drawing Qarabag at home.

Match Preview
Tottenham's start to the season has been somewhat disappointing, currently sitting mid-table after five Premier League matches. They have secured victories against teams they were expected to beat, such as Everton and Brentford, but have struggled against stronger opponents. A lack of effectiveness in front of goal was evident in their losses to Arsenal, Leicester City, and Newcastle.

Despite winning against Brentford 3-1 last weekend, the match was tightly contested, and Spurs' performance raised questions. While fans are excited to have European football back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there is a sense of disappointment at not qualifying for the Champions League, particularly after a strong start to last season, when they amassed 26 points from their first ten games.

Postecoglou has expressed his commitment to winning trophies, stating that he typically achieves this within two years at any club. As a result, this match is crucial for Spurs, who must avoid early slip-ups in the competition, especially with a key Premier League match against Manchester United just three days later.

Tottenham's European form has been lackluster since their 2019 Champions League final appearance, having failed to score in both legs of their last-16 exit to AC Milan last season. The previous year, they were eliminated in the Conference League group stage after leading against Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg.

On the other hand, Qarabag enjoyed their best European campaign to date last season, coming close to reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated. They finished their group stage with 10 points, which is often sufficient for progression to the knockout rounds, though they have struggled once reaching this stage in the past.

Historically, Qarabag has not fared well against English clubs, losing all six of their encounters, including two matches against Spurs in 2015, where they initially took the lead before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat.

Despite being considered underdogs, Qarabag have been performing well domestically, winning all three of their September matches and sitting at the top of the Premyer Liqasi. However, they did face challenges in Champions League qualifying, notably a dramatic 8-4 win against Ludogorets Razgrad.

Team News
Given the upcoming match against Manchester United, Postecoglou is expected to rotate his squad significantly, potentially changing the entire front four. Dominic Solanke, who started in the recent cup win against Coventry City, is likely to retain his place as the main striker.

Tottenham are currently dealing with injury issues in attack, with Richarlison and Wilson Odobert both sidelined. Son Heung-min, who scored his first two goals for Spurs against Qarabag in 2015, may be rested for this match to ensure he is fit for the weekend.

Qarabag will be without defender Kevin Medina, who is serving a one-match European suspension due to a red card received in the Champions League playoffs. Marko Jankovic, the only injury concern for the visitors, returned as a substitute in their recent 4-0 win over Neftci Baku.

Juninho is a key player for Qarabag, having scored six goals in the Europa League last season and continuing to find the net during qualifiers. Veteran midfielder Richard Almeyda, who scored Qarabag's opener at White Hart Lane nine years ago, is expected to start on the bench.

Possible Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur: Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner
Qarabag FK: Kochalski; Matheus da Silva, Mustafazada, B Huseynov, Cafarquliyev; Romao, Patrick Andrade; Leandro Andrade, Benzia, Zoubir; Juninho