Tottenham Hotspur will host Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, desperate to get their season back on track.
Tottenham Hotspur have picked up just one from their last six matches in all competitions ahead of the game vs Slavia Praha this midweek. They will look to build on the victory over Brentford in the last game and put together a wedding run now.
After an impressive start to the season, Tottenham have lost their way, and they need to bounce back strongly. Meanwhile, Slavia Prague are coming into this game on the back of four wins from the last five matches. They will look to put on a strong performance here and grind out an upset away from home.
On paper, Tottenham are the better team, and they should be able to get the job done. However, they cannot afford to underestimate the opposition. Spurs have won three of the last four meetings against Slavia Prague, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue their excellent run a form against the opposition.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Brennan Johnson is suspended, while James Maddison and Yves Bissouma are unavailable due to long-term knee injuries. Dejan Kulusevski is also sidelined with a knee problem. Mathys Tel, Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai are unregistered.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Slavia Prague, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero will pair up alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality to the side alongside Rodrigo Bentancur. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
Xavi Simons will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. The Dutchman will look to open up opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line for Tottenham vs Slavia Prague on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Richarlison; Kolo Muani
Slavia Prague
Petr Sevcik is out with cruciate ligament surgery and is not eligible for the competition. Goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar, full-back Ondrej Zmrzly, and winger Lukas Vorlicky are unregistered. Dominik Javorcek is sidelined with a knee injury, and Emmanuel Fully cannot feature due to registration rules.
Ivan Schranz misses out with an unspecified injury, while Oscar is out with a muscle injury, and Filip Horsky has a cruciate ligament tear. Slavia Prague are likely to start in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Jindrich Stanek in goal.
David Moses, Stepan Chaloupek, David Zima, and Youssoupha Mbodji should start in the backline. As for the midfield unit, Michal Sadilek and Christos Zafeiris will likely start as the double pivot, and they will look to protect the defence and recycle possession.
David Doudera, Lukas Provod, and Youssoupha Sanyang will start behind striker Tomas Chory, and they will look to create opportunities for him and link the midfield with the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Stanek; Moses, Chaloupek, Zima, Mbodji; Sadilek, Zafeiris; Doudera, Provod, Sanyang; Chory
Key Stats
- Tottenham are without a win in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Slavia Prague are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in four of their last four meetings against Slavia Prague.
- Tottenham have scored 10 goals in the UEFA Champions League in five matches.
- Seven goals have been scored in their last four meetings between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
The French international striker has shown his quality in recent outings, and he will look to establish himself as a key player for the club now. Kolo Muani has managed to get over his injury problems, and it remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact against Slavia Prague this week.
There is no doubt that the PSG misfit is a quality player, and he could make a big difference in the final third. He will help create opportunities for Tottenham and find the back of the net as well. Then North London outfit have struggled to score goals consistently, and they will need the French attacker to step up and get the job done.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Slavia Prague
Even though Tottenham have not been at their best in recent weeks, they are a quality team with several quality players. They will look to bounce back strongly and put together a winning run now. Slavia Prague will look to make life difficult for them, but the home team have enough quality to grind out a positive result.
Both teams are likely to get on the sheet here, but Tottenham should be able to pick up all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Thomas Frank and his charges in the midweek UEFA Champions League clash.
