Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag Prediction 26.09.2024 | Europa League

• Competition: UEFA Europa League - League Phase
• Date: Thursday, 26th, September 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21.00 CEST
• Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)

Nearly a decade ago, the two rivals faced off in the Europa League group stage, where Spurs claimed a 3-1 home win, leading us to think that a similar result with goals from both teams is a plausible and attractive prospect.

The poor finish to last season, marked by just two victories and five defeats in their last seven games, cost Spurs a place in the Champions League, forcing them to accept a fifth-place conclusion and a spot in UEFA's secondary tournament. Now, Tottenham return to the Europa League after a four-year absence, with their last appearance in the 2020-21 season ending in a shocking round-of-16 exit to Dinamo Zagreb, so Postecoglou's men will be eager to set things right and make a serious push for the trophy.

For their part, Qarabag were only 180 minutes away from securing a place in Europe's elite club tournament, yet they faltered at the last qualifying stage, enduring a crushing 5-0 loss against Dinamo Zagreb across both legs. This unfortunate collapse signifies that the Horsemen are set to embark on their third consecutive season in the Europa League, with last year's campaign being their most successful yet, as they broke through the group stage for the first time in eight tries before falling victim to a gut-wrenching 4-5 loss against Bayer Leverkusen despite holding a two-goal lead in the second leg.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Qarabag Betting Tips: BTTS

Undoubtedly, the Spurs are favorites to kick off their European campaign in a celebratory fashion, but we believe Qarabag possesses the necessary tools to disrupt the tranquility in North London, so we anticipate an entertaining contest packed with goals here. Even though the forward line is functioning effectively, defensive shortcomings are unavoidable given that Spurs have managed to keep their net untouched only once in the opening six matches across all competitions. 

Even though they arrive here on the back of consecutive wins against Coventry and Brentford, it cannot be overlooked that Postecoglou's men had to come from behind to polish off these successes, which further highlights the struggles in their backline. Considering that Spurs have been battling defensive woes for an extended stretch with just one clean sheet from their last 17 competitive encounters, Qarabag are justified in believing they can exploit the shaky defense of the Londoners, as they have been remarkably clinical and threatening in the attacking third, evidenced by their demolition of Ludogorets 7-2 in Bulgaria during one of the qualifying matches in mid-August. 

Beyond that, the Azerbaijani champions clearly demonstrated last season that they fear no one, as they led 2-0 in both matches against Bayer Leverkusen before suffering a heartbreaking collapse, and they seem well-equipped to threaten Tottenham's otherwise vulnerable backline. Nearly a decade ago, the two rivals faced off in the Europa League group stage, where Spurs claimed a 3-1 home win, leading us to think that a similar result with goals from both teams is a plausible and attractive prospect.