After making a statement in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at the weekend, Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur will be out to seal qualification to the Europa League Round of 32. After a slip-up in Belgium which seen Spurs lose 1-0 to Antwerp, the Whites got back on track with 3-1 win in Bulgaria over Ludogorets. Now the two teams meet again with Tottenham leading the way in Group J on six points alongside Antwerp and LASK Linz, while Ludogorets prop up the standings in last place without a point at the halfway stage.
Ludogorets will travel to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium knowing that their hosts have won four of their last five games there. Spurs beat LASK 3-0 in their only other group game at home so far and thumped Maccabi Haifa 7-2 in a Europa League qualifier back in early October. Spurs have won nine of their last 10 group games at home in the Europa League whilst drawing the other and look a step above for many teams at this level. Having played in the Champions League for the last three seasons, the North London club managed to win seven of their nine home group games collecting victories over Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan along the way so I don’t see them having too much trouble here.
Ludogorets won again at the weekend in domestic action which is now the third time in succession that they have won their next match after a European game. However, the problem is they are winning domestically but are unable to make an impact on the continent. After three games they are pointless and with an indifferent record in Europe it’s hard to see them getting on the board here. They suffered a 4-3 loss to LASK Linz in Austria in their first away game of the group leaving them with just one win in seven on the road at this stage of the Europa League.