Tottenham set to make return to European football versus Qarabag after year away

Tottenham will begin their Europa League campaign this Thursday night when they welcome Qarabag to London, live on talkSPORT 2. 

Ange Postecoglou’s side have not made a great start to the new season, but after a 3-1 win against Brentford at the weekend, they will want to build some momentum. 

Spurs venture into this competition for the first time since 2021 in search of a trophy that would end their long, long wait for some silverware. 

They have been handed a tough set of games in UEFA’s new format, with ties against Roma, Rangers and Galatasaray to come.

But Qarabag are their first opponents and the Azerbaijani side are returning to the Europa League after their best-ever campaign last year. 

They reached the round of 16, winning four of their games which is the most they have ever won in major European competitions. 

Tottenham vs Qarabag: Back in Europe

Tottenham are back in Europe after a year away. 

In Postecoglou’s first season, he was able to secure qualification to the Europa League with Spurs finishing fifth in the Premier League.

It meant they would be making a return to continental football for the first time since their Champions League last 16 defeat to AC Milan in March last year.

Under Antonio Conte, Tottenham were booed off the pitch following as they failed to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg. 

And after finishing eighth in the league, they didn’t qualify to play in Europe last season. 

But Postecoglou has them back as they prepare for their first Europa League campaign since Dinamo Zagreb knocked them out in the round of 16. 

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• This is the third meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag in major European competition, with Spurs winning both previous meetings in the 2015/16 group stage of the UEFA Europa League (3-1 & 1-0).
• Qarabag have lost all six of their meetings with English sides in all competitions – twice vs Spurs (2015-16), twice vs Chelsea (2017-18) and twice vs Arsenal (2018-19).

Tottenham vs Qarabag: Team news 

Dominic Solanke scored his first Tottenham goal at the weekend and he’ll likely keep his place up front as he aims for more. 

That’s because Richarlison remains sidelined alongside summer signing Wilson Odobert. 

Postecoglou is expected to rotate his team slightly though, with Radu Dragusin, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray vying for starting spots. 

Timo Werner could also get some extended minutes and Djed Spence may come in to allow some rest for Destiny Udogie. 

Brennan Johnson will hope to continue his turnaround in form by getting on the scoresheet on his European debut.

As for Qarabag, Juninho Vieira will look to add to his goal last time out while Yassin Benzia will be a creative hub for the side from Azerbaijan. 

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• Tottenham have lost just one of their last eight matches in the UEFA Europa League (W6 D1), although this defeat did come in their most recent such match – 0-3 against Dinamo Zagreb in March 2021.
• Qarabag’s Juninho has been involved in five goals in his last six appearances in major European competition (4 goals, 1 assist), netting in both round of 16 matches against Bayer 04 Leverkusen last season.

Tottenham vs Qarabag: What has been said? 

After scoring against Brentford, James Maddison hit back at criticism he has received since the start of the season. 

Maddison’s performances have left some unimpressed, but after his first goal of the campaign last time out, he’ll now be looking to build on it. 

Speaking on Saturday, the midfielder said: “The team is always the most important. I would have been happy with my performance and how I played regardless of whether I got the goal.

“It [the goal] kind of shuts up a few people in the background who think the goals and assists do matter more than what they probably do.

“I am an attacking player who has always scored goals and always got assists, that’s my job.

“So when you are not doing that and even if you feel like you are playing well personally, helping the team, the gaffer is happy with what I’m doing, for some games you have it where I feel like I play really well in the build-up and help the team progress but you don’t get a goal or assist to show for that.

“And then people start questioning the numbers, so sometimes you have to take the outside noise with a pinch of salt, but on the other hand I love scoring goals and it was a nice feeling.”

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• Qarabag reached the round of 16 in last season’s UEFA Europa League, the furthest they’ve advanced in a major European competition. Their four wins were also their most in a single such campaign.

Tottenham vs Qarabag: talkSPORT coverage 

This Europa League clash will take place on Thursday, September 26. 

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 8pm. 

talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of all the action this week. 

Commentary of the game will come from Ian Danter and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto. 

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

The game will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.