Jose Mourinho will be hoping that his side can book their place in the Champions League knockout stages when they welcome Olympiacos to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.
The Special One kicked off his reign as Spurs boss with victory over West Ham at the weekend. Son Hueng-min, Lucas Moura, and Harry Kane all scored in the London derby, but Tottenham’s defensive frailties were exposed in the second half.
Spurs are struggling in the Premier League and have won just four of their 13 league games this season. However, they have not let their poor domestic form impact their Champions League campaign too much.
Apart from the obvious humiliation against Bayern Munich, two wins and a draw have put Tottenham in a strong position to qualify for the Round of 16. The English side are second in Group B – four points clear of Red Star Belgrade.
Things aren’t looking so good for Olympiacos. They have only managed to pick up one point from their four Champions League matches this season, and find themselves stuck at the bottom of the group. Only a win will keep their feint qualification hopes alive.
Despite their European woes, Olympiacos are yet to taste defeat in the Greek Super League this season. They have scored exactly two goals in each of thier last five league victories, and have kept seven clean sheets in eleven top-flight games in 2019/20.
Unfortunately for manager Pedro Martins, his side have not been able to carry their domestic form onto the European stage.
Mourinho will be without Jan Vertonghen and Ben Davies on Tuesday, as both players are expected to miss out due to injury. Despite being two defenders short, Spurs should have more than enough quality to get the job done.
🎙️ Jose: “If you can win at home in your first game that’s also important. Our stadium is the best stadium in the world and we have great support, so we are going to try to have a good result and qualify.” #UCL ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/OdCshW3svI— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 25, 2019
🎙️ Jose: “If you can win at home in your first game that’s also important. Our stadium is the best stadium in the world and we have great support, so we are going to try to have a good result and qualify.” #UCL ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/OdCshW3svI
Olympiacos have a dismal record on their travels and this trend looks set to continue. They have claimed one victory in their last 14 visits to England.
The Greek side must claim all three points in London, but they will find it very difficult to compete with a rejuvenated Tottenham side. The Spurs players will be desperate to prove themselves to their new manager, so the home side are likely to put in a big performance.
Forebet predicts that Tottenham will secure the victory while scoring over 2.5 goals. Spurs will advance to the next round, while Olympiacos will bow out.