Tottenham Hotspur will aim for a more clinical performance when they host Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.
With only goal difference separating Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt, Antonio Conte will demand a win from his side to have any chance of progressing to the Last 16 stage. A lack of precision paved the way for a frustrating evening for Spurs in Germany last week, and their away form has been a cause of concern for Conte’s men.
Before their win over Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham managed only one win away from home against Nottingham Forest in all competitions. And they will be banking on their home comfort again.
Eintracht .Frankfurt are going through a bizarre run as they suffered a pummelling against VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga. That was Bochum’s first win this season, and surprisingly, the defeat against the relegation contenders came after only Die Adler’s excellent victory over league toppers Union Berlin just a week ago.
Oliver Glasner will thus be dissecting his team’s performances in the green room. And a positive outcome in London could avail them a possible chance to get to the next stage.
Tottenham had to deal with some hard times last week, and they paid a fitting tribute to their fitness coach with a win over Brighton following his demise. The hangover of their unbeaten start has already been put to bed with their loss against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League and the harrowing defeat at the hands of Arsenal was the icing on the cake.
Ahead of training, players and first team staff held a ceremony where an Italian Evergreen Oak tree was planted, and a minute's silence was held in memory of Gian Piero Ventrone 💙 pic.twitter.com/LFGxYXpCKR
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 10, 2022
Conte now must ensure complacency does not emerge before this crucial clash, as losing on home turf could have an adverse effect on their qualification scenario. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane went off as a precautionary measure following a knock in the ankle in Tottenham’s win over Brighton & Hove Albion. And the England captain should be there to continue his run up front.
Dejan Kulusevski is still recuperating from the injury he suffered on international duty. But apart from the Swede, Antonio Conte seems to have a fully-fit squad to choose from. This could be Hugo Lloris’s last stint with Tottenham in the Champions League. And he will thus try to make this journey memorable. Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet will continue their presence in the defensive setup.
Emerson Royal should be the preferred choice as the right wing-back. Ryan Sessegnon produced an inspirational performance against Brighton over the weekend, and he should be Emerson’s wing-back partner on the left flank.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will partner Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle of the park, and the duo will have the responsibility to take a more attacking approach in the game. The front three of Harry Kane, Richarlison and Son Heung-min have forged a good combination, and the onus will be on them to get their team to the desired place.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Richarlison, Kane, Son
Eintracht Frankfurt
For Eintracht Frankfurt, Mario Gotze has become available and could take part in some capacity against Tottenham. Oliver Glasner provided a much-needed rest to a number of first teamers, and they will be back in action.
Kevin Trapp will take usual his position in between the sticks, with Eintracht Frankfurt lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him. Makoto Hasebe will return to the side and will form a three-man defence with Tuta and Evan Ndicka.
Kristijan Jakic and Ansgar Knauff will operate from the right and left sides of the defence, respectively. Djibril Sow and Sebastian Rode will have to get the better of the Tottenham midfield if they are to conjure any chances for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Randal Kolo Muani will spearhead the Eintracht Frankfurt attack against Tottenham. And the 23-year-old will have support from behind from Daichi Kamada and Jesper Lindstrom.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Ndicka, Hasebe, Tuta; Jakic, Rode, Sow, Knauff; Kamada, Lindstrom; Kolo Muani
Key Stats
- Tottenham Hotspur are without a win in their last five matches against German opposition in the UEFA Champions League (D1 L4), after winning four in a row prior to this run. All four wins were against Borussia Dortmund between 2017 and 2019.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have won on their last two trips to face English clubs in European competition, with both of those victories coming in London – 2-1 vs Arsenal in November 2019 and 2-1 vs West Ham United in April 2022, both in the UEFA Europa League.
- Eintracht Frankfurt won their first-ever away game in the UEFA Champions League, beating Marseille 1-0 last month. No German outfit has ever won their first two matches on the road in the competition.
- Tottenham have won nine of their last 11 home games in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (L2), including each of the last three. The last three have all come under different managers: Mauricio Pochettino (5-0 vs Crvena Zvezda), Jose Mourinho (4-2 vs Olympiakos) and Antonio Conte (2-0 vs Marseille).
- Richarlison scored a brace in his first home appearance for Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League (vs Marseille on Matchday 1). Only Harry Kane has ever scored 2+ goals in consecutive home outings for the club in the competition (vs Crvena Zvezda and Olympiakos in October-November 2019).
Player to Watch
Richarlison
Richarlison’s brace against Marseille are the only goals Tottenham have netted so far in the UEFA Champions League. The 25-year-old has not fired in the Premier League but will want to maintain his scoring streak in Europe. And with Dejan Kulusevski still unavailable, Richarlison has the chance to nail down his spot in the team.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Tottenham’s urge to win this match should be more than Eintracht Frankfurt’s intent as the Premier League giants are eyeing silverware this season. The visitors will call up several their experienced campaigners, but thwarting Tottenham’s advances will be tough to cut out. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Antonio Conte’s men.