Tottenham Hotspur return to European action on Thursday when they host Azerbaijan champions Qarabag FK who have made a 4,000km voyage to north London for their Europa League opener.Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with the home fixture, as it spares his team a long journey to Azerbaijan. However, Spurs have had an inconsistent start to the season, sitting mid-table after five Premier League matches. They’ve secured wins against Everton and Brentford, but have struggled against tougher opponents like Arsenal, Leicester City, and Newcastle United. Even the recent 3-1 victory over Brentford was far from convincing, but it brought Tottenham’s points tally to seven.Sonny’s first goals in a Tottenham shirt came against Qarabag pic.twitter.com/ec3fVMYPhU— Moe (@Moe_thfc) September 23, 2024 While fans will be excited for the return of European football, there’s no doubt they had their sights set on the Champions League. Missing out on qualification to Aston Villa last season was particularly disappointing, especially given Tottenham’s strong start with 26 points from their first 10 games. Nevertheless, Postecoglou is focused on winning trophies, and he has emphasized the importance of this competition as he aims to avoid early setbacks.Basque expedition to tame the Wolfess in her lairHowever, Tottenham’s recent record in Europe has been concerning. Since reaching the 2019 Champions League final, they’ve struggled on the continental stage. Last season, they were knocked out by AC Milan in the Champions League Round of 16 without scoring a goal, and the season prior, they failed to progress past the group stage in the Conference League. That followed a shocking exit in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb after squandering a 2-0 first-leg lead.Despite these setbacks, Spurs have generally been solid in the Europa League, with only one defeat in their last eight matches – against Dinamo Zagreb. This history gives them a positive outlook heading into the clash with Qarabag.Qarabag, on the other hand, are coming off their best-ever European campaign. Last season, they were minutes away from a historic quarter-final appearance in this competition, but a dramatic late turnaround by Bayer Leverkusen ended their dream run. This year, they’ll be looking to build on that success after progressing past the Europa League group stage for the first time in eight attempts last season.Another one? 😏🏆#UEL pic.twitter.com/nMvIaebCn8— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) September 25, 2024 Historically, Qarabag have struggled against English teams, losing all six encounters, including two losses to Spurs back in 2015. Despite this, they have a relatively favorable draw in this Europa League group, with fixtures against teams like Malmo, Bodo/Glimt, FCSB, and Elfsborg giving them hope of making the knockout stage again.Qarabag have had a strong start to September, winning three straight matches to regain top spot in the Premyer Liqasi. However, their form hasn’t been without its hiccups. They nearly crashed out of Champions League qualifying, trailing Ludogorets 4-2 on aggregate before a stunning comeback saw them win 8-4. They were later eliminated by Dinamo Zagreb and suffered an unexpected defeat to Turan, but their recent results have restored some confidence.Postecoglou is expected to rotate his squad ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash with Manchester United, with significant changes likely in the front four. Dominic Solanke, who featured in Tottenham’s recent cup win over Coventry City, could lead the line, given the lack of options up front due to injuries. Both Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are sidelined, the latter having limped off in last week’s EFL Cup match.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Son Heung-min, who scored his first two goals for Spurs against Qarabag in 2015, is likely to be rested to stay fresh for the weekend. For Qarabag, defender Kevin Medina is suspended following a red card in their Champions League playoff against Dinamo Zagreb, while Marko Jankovic, who recently returned from injury, is expected to feature.Qarabag’s Brazilian star Juninho, who scored in both legs against Leverkusen last season, remains their key man. He netted six goals in their Europa League campaign and added another six in Champions League qualifying. Veteran midfielder Richard Almeyda, who scored against Spurs back in 2015, may start on the bench.Azerbaijani journalist: The English press are reporting that Tottenham will play attacking football towards Qarabag. Is that true or will you opt for a more cautious approach? 🧐Ange: Never believe the English press. Don’t make that mistake 😂🔗 https://t.co/qjhGvmJJLw pic.twitter.com/36hSyIKtRK— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) September 25, 2024 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE – ROUND 1WednesdayAZ Alkmar – Elfsborg 3-2 (1-1)/Van Bommel 44, 50, Parrott 75 pen – Ouma 23, Hedlund 53/Bodo – Porto 3-2 (2-1) /Hogh 15, Hauge 40,62 – Omorodion 8, Gul 90/Anderlecht – Ferencvaros 2-1 (2-1)/Verschaeren 60, Dolberg 66 pen – Traore 86/Dynamo Kiev – Lazio 0-3 (0-3)/Dia 4,35, Dele-Bashiru 33/Galatasaray – PAOK 3-1 (3-1)/Baba 48 og, Akgun 75, Icardi 90+5 – Konstantelias 67/Ludogorets – Slavia Praha 0-2 (0-1)/Jurasek 37, Chytil 65/Man Utd – Twente 1-1 (1-0)/Eriksen 35 – Lammers 68/Midtjylland – Hoffenheim 1-1 (1-0)/Osorio 42 – Moerstedt 89/Nice – Sociedad 1-1 (0-1)/Rosario 45 – Barrenetxea 18/Thursday19:45: (1.60) Fenerbahce (3.90) St.Gilloise (6.00)19:45: (2.40) Malmo (3.45) Rangers (3.15)22:00: (2.00) Ajax (3.60) Besiktas (4.00)22:00: (2.15) Roma (3.45) Ath.Bilbao (3.70)22:00: (1.53) Braga (4.20) Maccabi T.A. (6.25)22:00: (1.35) Eintr.Frankfurt (5.00) Plzen (9.00)22:00: (1.60) FCSB (3.90) Rigas (6.00)22:00: (1.90) Olympique Lyon (3.60) Olympiakos (4.50)22:00: (1.15) Tottenham (8.00) Qarabag (16.0)***odds are subject to change***
