Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag FK
Much has already been said about Ange Postecoglou winning titles in his second year in charge. As things stand, it might not happen in the Premier League, but they have a way better chance of doing so here in the Europa League.
The Spurs will open their campaign with a home game against Qarabag FK on Thursday night, and many believe this is a walk in the park for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Tottenham are on a two-game winning streak after beating Coventry 2-1 in the EFL Cup third round and winning against Brentford 3-1 last weekend.
Meanwhile, despite the unfavourable odds, Qarabag FK’s confidence is high since they remain the dominant force in the Azerbaijan Premier League, standing on top of the table with only one league loss so far, and they’re also coming off a win.
Talking Points
Johnson warming up for Tottenham
After losing by a narrow margin to Arsenal, Tottenham returned on the winning track with consecutive wins against Coventry and Brentford, and Brennan Johnson played a key role in those victories.
Before this, Johnson faced abuse from Spurs fans after his anonymous performance against Arsenal during last week’s North London Derby. It got so bad that he had to deactivate his Instagram account.
Johnson, who hadn’t scored in the Spurs’ first four games this season, opened his account just in time. The Wales international scored the marginal goal in added time to complete their comeback against Coventry, and he also put his team ahead for good with his goal against the Bees.
Another player who has temporarily silenced his critics is Dominic Solanke, the Spurs’ marquee signing last summer transfer window.
The £65 million star was at the right place and at the right time, as he tapped the ball in off a save from Mark Flekken during the eighth minute. Solanke should continue to lead the line up front this Thursday.
Qarabag FK love to score
Qarabag FK’s title defence in Azerbaijan is off to a good start because they’ve been pouring it on in the final third. Gurban Gurbanov’s side has a +12 goal difference, as they’ve found the back of the net 16 times while only conceding four times.
Leading the way up front is the dynamic front duo of Leandro Andrade and Juninho, who have combined for five league goals so far. Tottenham’s backline has to be wary of them on Thursday.
Leandro Andrade has hit a purple patch because he has scored all three of his goals this week. The 25-year-old Portuguese international notched a brace in their 2-1 victory over Seball before adding one more goal in their 4-0 rout of Neftchi.
History
Tottenham and Qarabag FK will meet only for the third time ever this week. Before Thursday’s encounter, these two teams met twice in the Europa League group stage in the 2015-16 season.
The Spurs won with an aggregate tally of 4-1 and went as far as the Round of 16. As for Qarabag FK, they finished at the bottom of Group J with one win, one draw, and four losses (four points).
Tottenham were in the Champions League last season, losing to AC Milan in the Round of 16 by only one goal. On the other hand, Qarabag FK almost scored a huge upset against Bayer Leverkusen in the same juncture of last term’s Europa League.
After a 2-2 draw in the Round of 16 first leg, Qarabag FK were up 2-0 in the second leg but were reduced to 10 men when Elvin Cafarguliyev was given a red card in the 64th minute.
Bayer Leverkusen then went on an unbelievable run, scoring three goals in 25 minutes, including two in added time, to advance to the quarter-finals.
Betting Tip
The gulf of quality between these two clubs is evident ahead of Thursday, as the Europa League 2024 odds are overwhelmingly in favour of the Spurs. Ange Postecoglou’s men are 1.13 favourites, whereas Gurban Gurbanov’s side is priced to win at 10.50, and a draw is at 6.60 in the 1X2 market.
Both teams are capable of generating Europa League 2024 highlights. So, other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors may also go for options like Over 3.25 at 1.73, Over 3.50 at 1.97, Total Goal 2-3 at 2.38, or even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.21.
But if you think otherwise, then check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Spurs – the result of their most recent meeting – given its tempting 10.00 offer.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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