Tottenham will aim to continue their respectable start to the UEFA Champions League campaign as they make a tricky trip to face AS Monaco.
Sebastien Pocognoli will take charge of his first European game for AS Monaco following the recent dismissal of Adi Hutter from the helm when AS Monaco host Tottenham Hotspur at Stade Louis II on Wednesday. Hutter had a disappointing run in before his sacking, winning just once in five games.
Those included the two UEFA Champions League encounters that resulted in a 4-1 loss to Club Brugge and then a 2-2 draw to Manchester City. Pocognoli is yet to win with Monaco after managing two games so far, with both those coming in the league and ending in a draw.
The most recent of those came away at Angers as a Folarin Balogun strike in the 75th minute was cancelled out by an 85th-minute equaliser from Sidiki Cherif. They now host Tottenham, as Pocognoli will hope to get a first win of his reign at the club and create problems for the North Londoners in this competition.
Tottenham, on the other hand, continued their inconsistent form this season following a disappointing result against Aston Villa at home in the Premier League. The North Londoners looked set early in the game following a goal from Rodrigo Bentancur and did dominate proceedings for most parts.
However, a stunning equaliser from Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers and then a winner in the second half from Emiliano Buendia proved enough to down Spurs. Thomas Frank needs to tweak certain things about his team to bring about consistency with their game; otherwise, they could become irrelevant in any title conversations.
On the European front, Spurs have had a respectable start to life back in the Champions League. Following a narrow win at home to Villarreal, Tottenham stuttered when visiting Bodo/Glimt away from home. The opposition took a two-goal lead, and it took until late in the game for Tottenham to stage a stunning comeback and earn a point.
Four points from the first six on offer does seem decent, but that is not the kind of form a team needs to finish in the top eight, as Frank must engineer a win away at Monaco to stay in touch with some of the big hitters above them in the standings.
Team News & Tactics
AS Monaco
Sebastien Pocognoli must maneuver this clash without a host of key stars, as former Spurs man Eric Dier was added to the treatment room. The English defender sustained a hamstring problem that will definitely keep him out of this clash against his former team. Denis Zakaria, Lamine Camara, Christian Mawissa, Lukas Hradecky, and Vanderson are out of the contest as things stand.
Pocognoli will continue with a 4-2-3-1 shape heading into this clash, with Mamadou Coulibaly and Jordan Teze marshaling the midfield setup. Thilo Kehrer and Mohammed Salisu will be trusted to lead the defensive line, with Krepin Diatta set to replace the injured Vanderson at right-back.
The in-form Ansu Fati will play in the attacking midfield role, with Maghnes Akliouche and Takumi Minamino set to take wing roles. Mika Biereth will be picked to lead the line for the Ligue 1 giants, which will see Balogun assume a role on the bench for this clash.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kohn; Diatta, Kehrer, Salisu, Ouattara; Coulibaly, Teze; Akliouche, Fati, Minamino; Biereth
Tottenham
Thomas Frank will assess his options before naming the strongest possible lineup for this trip to Monaco, as there are some defensive injury concerns. Ahead of the game against Aston Villa, Destiny Udogie was ruled out with a knee issue right before kick-off, while skipper Cristian Romero was another late withdrawal with an abductor problem.
It would be surprising to see either of those defenders being involved in the game against as Monaco, and Frank could bring in Kevin Danso and Djed Spence for the injured duo. Beyond that, there is a long list of absences for Frank to deal with, as around eight first-team stars are either out or doubtful.
There could be some hope to have two of his attackers on the bench with Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke likely to be assessed before the game. Richarlison is widely expected to lead the line for Spurs in this one, as Frank is widely expected to keep his midfield and attacking setup largely unchanged.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Richarlison
Key Stats
- AS Monaco are winless in their last four games across all competitions.
- AS Monaco have lost only once in 10 games against English opposition
- Tottenham have scored in 17 of their last 18 European matches.
- Tottenham have lost just once in their last five visits to France.
- Thomas Frank could become the first Tottenham manager to go unbeaten in his first three UEFA Champions League matches (W1 D1 in his first two). Meanwhile, only in 2017/18 have Spurs previously gone unbeaten in their opening three games of a single edition in the competition (W2 D1 under Mauricio Pochettino).
Player to Watch
Richarlison
There are some obvious threats from the AS Monaco side in the attacking third, but all Spurs must do is manage the defence and ensure they score decisive goals. Richarlison is widely expected to lead the line, and he needs a performance worthy enough to cement a starting role at the moment.
Richarlison will soon be under pressure from Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke once the duo are fully fit to participate. Hence, the increased competition for places for the Brazilian could have a good effect on his performances, or else he could soon end up irrelevant by being lower down the pecking order.
Prediction
AS Monaco 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
AS Monaco are still adjusting to the methods of their new manager, and while this could be a testing encounter for them, they are certainly not the favourites here. Despite their draw to Manchester City, Monaco’s overall form have been underwhelming, and they are the underdogs in this clash.
Tottenham will want to improve their own performances, and this clash with Monaco will be a good opportunity to do so. They are the favourites to take three points here, and a win here would be a big boost to their hopes of finishing in the top eight.