Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to ensure they finish inside the top eight with a win over Elfsborg in the final matchday.
Things are not really going according to plan for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in the Premier League, but they will be looking to keep it aside for now and focus on making it straight to the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. Spurs will be eyeing all three points when they host IF Elfsborg on Thursday night.
The home team are sixth in the Europa League standings with 14 points in their seven outings. While a place in the knockouts has already been secured, their only aim will be to clinch all three points and finish inside the top eight.
With things falling apart in the Premier League, Postecoglou will hope his team can keep it together in Europe. They are heading into their fixture on the back of a defeat at the hands of a shock defeat to Leicester City, and Postecoglou’s charges will have to put up a much-improved performance.
The visitors are 20th on the table with 10 points in their seven outings. Elfsborg endured a poor start to their European campaign as they only won one out of their first five games. But, they have bounced back with consecutive wins, and a positive result against Spurs will guarantee their participation in the next round.
Only a point will be enough for Elfsborg to secure their place in the knockouts for the first time in their history. Having defeated OGC Nice in the recent past, they will be confident of getting something out of the game against Spurs. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
The North London club remains without the services of Guglielmo Vicario, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Pape Matar Sarr, James Maddison, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven.
Romeo and van de Ven are closing in on a return. Meanwhile, Richarlison’s availability is also a doubt as he was forced off against Leicester City last time out.
Ange Postecoglou’s team will line up in a 4-3-3 formation. With Antonin Kinsky ineligible, Brandon Austin will feature in goal. Pedro Porro and Archie Gray will be the full-backs, while Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies will feature at the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Lucas Bergvall will start alongside Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur. The trio will look to ensure they dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game. Dejan Kulusevski and Mikey Moore will feature on the flanks providing much-needed width to their attacks, while skipper Son Heung-min lead the line for Tottenham against Elfsborg.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bergvall, Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Son, Moore
Elfsborg
The visitors have a fully fit squad for this fixture and given the kind of performance they put up against OGC Nice, it will be more or less the same XI.
Elfsborg will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Isak Pettersson will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Sebastian Holmén, Terry Yegbe, and Ibrahim Buhari. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive support from Simon Hedlund and Niklas Hult who will feature as wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Besfort Zeneli will partner with Timothy Ouma. They will try and ensure Tottenham do not boss the possession. Arber Zeneli and Gottfrid Rapp will feature on the flanks for the away team, while Jalal Abdullai will spearhead the Elfsborg attack against Tottenham on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Petterson; Buhari, Holmen, Yegbe; Hedlund, B. Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; A. Zeneli, Abdullai, Rapp
Key Stats
- Tottenham are all set to face Swedish opposition for the first time since their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Osters IK in the 1995 Intertoto Cup.
- This will be the first-ever meeting between Tottenham and Elfsborg.
- The Swedish club have lost all three of their away games in the Europa League this season.
- Spurs have the fourth-best attack in the Europa League this season having scored 14 goals.
- Ange Postecoglou’s team have kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 games across competitions.
Player to Watch
Mikey Moore
An injury crisis at Spurs has provided 17-year-old Moore with a truckload of chances to make a name for himself and cement his spot in Ange Postecoglou’s squad. While he has already had quite an impact, the English wonderkid has not really showcased his true potential, and the game against Elfsborg could be a great opportunity for him. While Moore has two assists for the senior team, he will be looking for his first goal.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Elfsborg
Spurs have been going through a rough patch with quite a few of their first-team stars out injured. The North Londoners are struggling to get the desired results in the Premier League, but things have not been that bad for them in Europe.
Tottenham have enough quality in their squad to get the desired result against Swedish club Elfsborg. While the visitors will look to cause an upset against the hosts, it won’t be that straightforward for them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the North London club.
