Tottenham will kick off their Europa League campaign on Thursday night as they face Azerbaijani champions Qarabag at N17. After finishing fifth in Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge, the Lilywhites are back in the Europa League for the first time since their humiliating defeat to Dinamo Zagreb last season.
Dinamo Zagreb also knocked out Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs, denying them a spot in Europe’s elite competition this season. However, Qarabag have had a strong start to their domestic campaign, winning three consecutive matches.
Tottenham are also coming off a confident 3-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday and will be looking to make a strong start in the group stage of the Europa League.
While winning on Matchday 1 is not crucial due to the length of the league phase, this is still an important opportunity for Spurs to begin their European journey on a positive note.
In terms of team news, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to make changes from their weekend lineup as he prepares for an upcoming match against Manchester United. Centre-back Cristian Romero is suspended after being sent off in Tottenham’s last European outing against Milan. Radu Dragusin will likely replace him.
For Qarabag, centre-back Kevin Medina is suspended following his red card against Dinamo Zagreb. Abbas Huseynov is expected to take his place.
Qarabag proved themselves as tough opponents last season when they nearly upset Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16. However, their loss to Dinamo Zagreb may indicate a potential decline this year.
Although Tottenham struggled with scoring goals before their win over Brentford, they displayed an improved attacking performance and will be full of confidence heading into this match. Qarabag are unlikely to dominate at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will instead challenge Spurs’ ability to break them down.
this could be a tricky tie for Tottenham but one that they should approach with confidence after their recent victory.
