Tottenham and PSV Eindhoven have struggled in the Champions League group stage. Neither side has gained a point after two matches and if either wants to qualify for the next round, they will need to get maximum points here.
Tottenham go into the match having won their last four league games. Spurs edged West Ham at the weekend, 1-0, and now hope to take their league form into the Champions league. PSV are flying atop the Dutch Eredivisie. The reigning champions are five points clear of Ajax and have won their last six games.
Mauricio Pochettino has injuries to worry about at Tottenham. Danny Rose is expected to miss the vital Champions League match. Centre-back stopper Jan Vertonghen will miss the match with injury and isn’t expected back until December. Vincent Janssen is also out while Dele Alli will miss his seventh straight match with a hamstring injury.
Alli’s missed each of Tottenham’s Champions league games and has failed to overcome his current hamstring issue. The good news is Christian Eriksen should be fit and ready to start. But with so many first-term players out, Pochettino will need a titanic effort from Spurs if they want to pick up all three points.
PSV have no new injury issues and will go into the fixture with their stars ready to go. Manager Mark van Bommel has seen his team score 36 goals in the Dutch league. However, PSV have been unable to translate that over to the European Cup. The team has scored just one goal while allowing six.
Former Newcastle flop Luuk de Jong is playing well for PSV. The Dutchman has tallied eight goals in the Eredivisie. His forward attack partner Hirving Lozano has tallied another eight strikes. Van Bommel will deploy PSV in a 4-3-3 formation with De Jong at the point of the formation. Lozano will play on the right-hand side.
Neither club can afford a third defeat in the Champions league group stage. Not only will a loss prevent a push for round of 16 qualification, but it will stop any chance of making the Europa League.
Tottenham have played PSV just one time previously. That meeting came in the last 16 of the 2007-08 UEFA Cup. Each won 1-0 away, but it was PSV who moved on thanks to penalties. Spurs have the better side and heading into the match on Wednesday. Tottenham will just edge out PSV. Without several stars, should make heavy work of it. In the end, however, Tottenham will get the points.