Tottenham will be hoping to join a long line of recent UEFA Europa League (UEL) winners to make the knockout stages of the subsequent UEFA Champions League (UCL), one of whom are first opponents Villarreal.
Match News and Current Form
It will be a new era both on and off the pitch for Tottenham as, in what will be Thomas Frank’s maiden league phase of any UEFA competition, they embark upon their first continental competition without either Harry Kane or Son Heung-min since 2011/12. Scoring this season hasn’t been much of an issue despite some mixed results (W3, L2) and the heartbreak of losing the UEFA Super Cup to PSG on penalties should prove a motivating factor. Entering as last year’s UEL champions shouldn’t be a hindrance, with eight of the nine prior UEL title-holders getting into the knockout phases of their following UCL campaign.
Villarreal were the most successful of those eight when they progressed to the semi-finals of the 2021/22 UCL to become the seventh Spanish club to reach the final four of the European Cup/UCL. After missing continental football altogether last season, Villarreal qualified directly for this UCL league phase courtesy of their fifth-place finish in La Liga last term. Veteran manager Marcelino will now oversee his 50th UEFA game (including qualifiers) here, and he’ll hope to mark the occasion by snapping their two-match winless run (D1, L1) after they went down 2-0 to Atlético Madrid at the weekend.
Head-to-Head History
This will be the first competitive H2H. Tottenham won only one of their last 13 games against Spanish opposition in major UEFA competitions (D5, L7), whilst Villarreal are yet to beat an English club in the UCL across 14 attempts (D6, L8), losing the last seven in a row.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Only two of Tottenham’s last ten competitive matches saw both teams score.
Six of Tottenham’s last seven UEFA losses were by a one-goal margin.
Villarreal were held scoreless in their last seven competitive away losses.
Villarreal’s last six competitive away wins were by a one-goal margin.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Randal Kolo Muani is set to appear in the UCL for a fourth club in four seasons, though last season was the only of the previous three that he didn’t score a UCL goal. Villarreal recruit Georges Mikautadze was excellent in the UEL for Lyon last season, directly contributing to nine goals (G4, A5) within five continental games that were either won or drawn (W3, D2).
Dominic Solanke was one of at least six Spurs players who missed their last game through injury. Gerard Moreno returned to training recently for Villarreal but is doubtful for this match.
For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.
Betting Analysis
With a new robust look under Frank, backing Tottenham to win with a clean sheet for a fourth time this season could be where the value is.
Author: Aaron Murphy