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Tottenham Hotspur entertain Qarabag at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their UEFA Europa League opener on Thursday. Tottenham are back in the competition after four years, while the visitors are playing in the competition for the third straight season.
Spurs made it two wins on the spin last week with a 3-1 home triumph over Brentford in the Premier League. Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson scored in the first halfm while James Maddison added a third in the comeback win. Son Heung-min provided two assists.
Qarabag, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak in the Azerbaijan Premier League. The Horsemen registered a 4-0 home win over Neftci last week thanks to goals from Juninho, Yassine Benzia and Leandro Andrade.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met twice, with both meetings taking place in the group stage of the 2015-16 Europa League, with Tottenham winning both.
- Spurs have lost one of their last eight games in the Europa League, scoring at least three goals in five games.
- Qarabag have scored at least twice in their last six games in the Europa League, winning twice.
- Tottenham are on a six-game winning streak at home in the competition, keeping five consecutive clean sheets.
- Qarabag have won one of their last four away games in the competition, scoring eight goals and conceding 12 times.
- The Horsemen have lost all six of their meetings against English teams in European competitions, scoring once and conceding 18 goals.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag Prediction
Spurs have bounced back well from consecutive defeats, winning their last two games. Interestingly, they have conceded in three games after the international break. They have won their last six home games in the Europa League, scoring 22 goals, though.
Richarlison and Wilson Odobert remain the only two injury concerns, while Cristian Romero will serve a suspension for his red card in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against AC Milan in 2023. Manager Ange Postecoglou is likely to make a few changes to the starting XI, as his side plays three more games before the October international break.
Qarabag, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak, scoring nine goals, and have won four of their five away games.
Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev and Amin Ramazanov have been left out of the squad due to injuries, while Marko Vešović is also a doubt due to a muscle strain. Kevin Medina is suspended for the trip to London.
While both teams have been in good form recently, considering Tottenham's home record in the Europa League and Qarabag's winless record against English teams, expect the hosts to register a comfortable win.
Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Qarabag
Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Tottenham to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Son Heung-Min to score or assist any time - Yes
