Tottenham take on Ferencvaros in the Europa League
Tottenham Hotspur are on the road in the Europa League for the first time this season as they travel to the Groupama Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to take on Ferencvaros. The fixture is scheduled corresponding to matchday two of the league phase and will be held on October 3rd at 20:00 UK time.
Ange Postecoglou’s men are enjoying their best run of form so far in the season having gone four successive matches unbeaten in all competitions. In their last Europa League match, they eased past Qarabag 3-0 at home and then beat Manchester United by the same scoreline last weekend.
The Australian will be looking to orchestrate a fifth straight win for the Lilywhites as they hope to inch a step closer to passage in the next round, preferably by finishing in the top eight standings of the league table in order to fend off a possible qualifying round in February.
Team News
Ferencvaros
Ferencvaros have gone unbeaten in four of their last five matches in all competitions. Interestingly, their only defeat came against Anderlecht in their first game of the Europa League’s group stage last weekend in which the Belgian side earned a 2-1 success.
For the visit of Tottenham, the hosts are expected to be without Cebrails Makreckis who is injured. The exact extent of his injury is yet to be known. There are no suspensions in the Hungarian side’s camp.
Malian winger Adama Traore has scored their only Europa League goal of the campaign so far and will be a player Spurs will need to keep a close eye on. Meanwhile, their top-scorer this season, Barnabas Varga, is also a threat in the final third.
PREDICTED FERENCVAROS XI (4-2-1-3): Dibusz; Botka, Cisse, Szalai, Ramirez; Rommens, Fani; Zachariassen; Trarore, Varga, Malinowski
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have a slightly growing injury list. Destiny Udogie was subbed off in the match against Manchester United at the weekend and is expected to spend some days on the sidelines, while Son Heung-min’s injury extent is not known but he is unlikely to be risked as well.
Spurs are without two more forwards – Richarlison and Wilson Odobert – both of whom will still require a couple of weeks at least to recover from their injuries. Radu Dragusin is suspended after his red card against Qarabag on matchday one last week.
Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke will have the eyes of the world on them. The duo has hit a purple patch and having scored seven times between them in the last four Tottenham games, they will be expected to be the differentials once more against Ferencvaros.
PREDICTED TOTTENHAM XI (4-3-3): Vicario; Gray, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma, Bergvall; Werner, Solanke, Johnson
Match-deciding duel
Ibrahim Cisse vs Dominic Solanke
If Tottenham Hotspur are to win the match, they will need Dominic Solanke at the top of his game and having scored thrice in his last three matches in all competitions, there is every reason to believe that the former Liverpool marksman can be the differential again.
He will be up against a physically tough defender in Ibrahim Cisse, who will be out to nullify his movement in and around the box. If the Englishman can outdo his French counterpart, it could lead to a rather comfortable win for Tottenham Hotspur.
Prediction
Ferencvaros 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur’s three-game streak of scoring thrice in a match will come to an end against Ferencvaros but that’s not to say they will not win in Hungary.
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The Lilywhites should still pick up all three points in the Europa League, though a heavily rotated midfield could reduce their creativity while playing away from home is also a factor to consider.
