Tottenham vs Qarabag Predictions
- Full Time Result: Tottenham Win
- Correct Score: 3-2
- Both Teams To Score: Yes
- Over 2.5 Goals: Yes
- First Goalscorer: Dominic Solanke
After a year away from European competition, Tottenham begin their Europa League quest with a home game against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag on Thursday, and it might not be a straightforward assignment.
Spurs are favourites to win the competition as they look for their first trophy success since 2008, and while their opponents put up two disappointing shows in losing 5-0 on aggregate to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, the visitors should not be written off.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou could ring the changes after their 3-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday, but his team will have to be on the ball much more than they were when they scraped through a Carabao Cup clash at Championship Coventry with two late goals in a 2-1 win.
They will be able to take nothing for granted against a team who gave Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen a real scare in this competition last season.
Tottenham vs Qarabag Tips
Tip 1
There is a chance that Postecoglou will give some of his fringe players another opportunity to shine, but that may not extend to the main man up front as this looks a good chance for Dominic Solanke to get his feet further underneath the Tottenham table.
Injuries have meant the former Liverpool forward has not had the sort of initial impact he would have wished for following his summer move from Bournemouth, but he has found himself with plenty of chances when he has played, and scoring his first club goal in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Brentford will have lifted a huge weight from his shoulders.
Gaining more game time will be key for Solanke to continue to establish himself as Tottenham’s central attacking threat and he has had a total of nine efforts on goal, five of which have been on target in his three league appearances to date.
There looks a strong chance that further opportunities will come his way on Thursday and the Spurs forward should be relied upon to convert one, particularly as he could now have his eye in.
Tip 2
There looks a strong chance that there will be plenty of goals in Thursday’s clash and Qarabag have scope to more than play their part, despite being dismissed by many bookmakers.
While their Champions League exit against Zagreb was limp, they performed well in the Europa League last season, beating Sporting Braga and then coming as close as anyone bar competition winners Atalanta to beating Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Qarabag were hauled back from a two-goal lead to draw the first leg of their clash with Leverkusen and were then 2-0 up again in Germany before their opponents squeezed through with two injury-time goals.
The potential is there for them to trouble a Spurs defence who have kept just two clean sheets in their last 20 home games, so take a chance on the visitors scoring more than once.
