Tottenham vs Qarabag Prediction: 26/9/2024

Tottenham Spurs are still in search of their first major trophy in official competitions, and the Europa League presents a real opportunity for them to finally achieve that goal. However, their start to the Premier League season has been far from ideal, with just one win in their first four matches.

That lone victory came in a 4-0 home game against Everton, but it was followed by two consecutive defeats—2-1 at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park and a 1-0 loss in the North London derby against Arsenal. Last week, Spurs played Coventry in the EFL Cup and faced Brentford in the league over the weekend.

Qarabag, meanwhile, came close to reaching the Champions League group stages but fell short in the play-off final against Dinamo Zagreb. They suffered a heavy 3-0 loss in Croatia, followed by a 2-0 defeat at home. Despite this disappointment, Qarabag has become a regular name in European football, frequently competing in qualifiers and group stages of various tournaments. In their domestic league, Qarabag has maintained strong form, recently securing victories against Zira (3-1 away) and Sabail (2-1 at home) before their matchup with Neftci Baku.

For Tottenham, Malian international Yves Bissouma, who has been in fine form with two goals in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and another in the Premier League, is expected to miss out due to injury. Richarlison is also sidelined. However, Spurs will rely on key players like Son Heung-min (2 Premier League goals this season) and James Maddison (2 assists in PL) to lead the attack. Defensively, Udogie, van de Ven, Romero, and Porro are set to form a solid backline.

As for Qarabag, some player selections remain uncertain, but crucial contributors from the qualifying rounds are expected to feature. These include Brazilian forward Juninho (6 goals), Algerian international Yassine Benzia (3 goals in the Champions League qualifiers), Cape Verdean international Andrade, Bayramov (who netted 10 league goals last season), and Frenchman Abdellah Zoubir (2 goals in the league this season), who joined from Lens in 2018.

 

Prediction

Tottenham has struggled at home in the Europa League, managing just four wins in their last 18 attempts, while suffering several defeats in their last 10 matches. Qarabag, on the other hand, has fared much better away from home, winning eight of their last 14 away games at this level.

Prediction: Tottenham 1 : 2 Qarabag