Tottenham begin their Champions League season hoping to follow the recent trend of Europa League winners making it through to the knockout stages. Their first test is a tough one against Villarreal, a side with alot of European pedrigree. Softfootball reports.
It marks a new chapter for Spurs both on and off the pitch. This will be Thomas Frank’s first taste of UEFA competition as a head coach, and the first time since 2011/12 that Tottenham embark on a European campaign without either Harry Kane or Son Heung-min.
Goals haven’t been hard to come by, but results have been mixed ,and the sting of their UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG on penalties could provide extra motivation. History is also on their side, eight of the last nine Europa League winners went on to reach the Champions League knockouts.
Randal Kolo Muani is set to make his Champions League debut for Spurs, continuing his remarkable run of playing in the competition with four different clubs in four seasons.
Confirmed XI of Tottenham to face Villareal posted by the team’s official X handle, see below;
Villarreal are no strangers to defying the odds in Europe. The Spanish side reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2021/22 and now return to the competition after a one-year absence, having finished fifth in La Liga last season. Under veteran boss Marcelino, who takes charge of his 50th UEFA game here, Villarreal will look to bounce back quickly from a 2-0 weekend defeat to Atlético Madrid that stretched their winless run to two games.
This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the sides. Softfootball understands that Tottenham have historically struggled against Spanish clubs, with just one win in their last 13 encounters, Villarreal’s record against English opposition is just as bad, as they’ve never beaten an English team in the Champions League, drawing six and losing eight, including their last seven straight.
Confirmed XI of Villareal to face Tottenham released on the team’s official X handle, see below;
Villarreal will be looking to new signing Georges Mikautadze to make the difference, after his standout Europa League campaign with Lyon last year where he was directly involved in nine goals (4 goals, 5 assists) across five games.
Injury concerns remain for both sides. Spurs were without Dominic Solanke and at least five others in their last outing, while Villarreal are sweating over the fitness of Gerard Moreno despite his recent return to training.
