Tottenham predicted lineup vs Qarabag – Europa League
Saturday’s performance and result was exactly what Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham needed ahead of a tricky run of fixtures.
Spurs are busy up until the October break, and they begin their Europa League campaign on home soil against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag on Thursday night.
Postecoglou’s Lilywhites were excellent against Brentford on Saturday, recovering from an early deficit to win 3-1. Their performance contrasted the drab attacking displays which preceded it, and the squad should be brimming with confidence ahead of a couple of tough Premier League away days.
Before those, though, Tottenham will be aiming to kick-start their continental campaign with a bang against a relatively unknown commodity. Here’s how Spurs could line up for Qarabag’s visit on Thursday night.
GK: Guglielmo Vicario – The Italian produced a truly chaotic display at the weekend, but he should earn the bulk of the minutes in this competition despite Fraser Forster waiting in the wings.
RB: Archie Gray – The youngster’s Tottenham future surely lies in midfield, but for now, Ange is more likely to utilise him as Pedro Porro’s deputy.
CB: Radu Dragusin – Cristian Romero’s suspension means Dragusin is a shoo-in to return to the team on Thursday. The Romanian international has made two starts this season.
CB: Micky van de Ven – Postecoglou will be wary of Van de Ven’s hamstrings, but the Tottenham boss doesn’t have too many options outside of Ben Davies, who captained the team at Coventry. The Welshman could be utilised in this one, but Van de Ven provides far greater security.
LB: Destiny Udogie – Udogie’s role changed at the weekend, and such variance has been encouraged by many. He won’t play the entirety of this one, but the Italian could remain in the team.
CM: Yves Bissouma – The Mali international was back in action against Brentford and he’s surely in contention to make his first start since the international break. Rodrigo Bentancur could be preserved for Sunday.
CM: Lucas Bergvall – The young Swede didn’t dazzle as projected on his last start, but he’s going to get plenty of chances to impress during the league phase. Bergvall has an important creative role in this midfield.
CM: Pape Matar Sarr – Sarr was pivotal in Spurs‘ success under Postecoglou, but he’s gone off the boil in 2024 and has started the season slowly. He needs a big performance to ignite his campaign.
RW: Brennan Johnson – After saving the day in the Carabao Cup, Johnson netted Tottenham’s second with a fine finish in their 3-1 win. The winger’s recent run is quietening a few, and Postecoglou should allow him to build more momentum in midweek.
ST: Dominic Solanke – Solanke opened his Tottenham account with an opportunistic finish against Brentford, and he’ll fancy his chances of adding a few more to his tally over the course of the league phase.
LW: Timo Werner – Spurs fans won’t exactly be thrilled with this, but Postecoglou’s rotation in the frontline could see Werner come back into the team. The German hasn’t set the world alight at the start of 2024/25.