Tottenham v Qarabag: Back 4/1 Solanke brace for free-scoring Spurs | OneFootball

UEFA Europa League

Solanke opened his Spurs account against Brentford at the weekend

As Spurs prepare to get their European campaign underway, Jamie Kemp previews their opener at home to a Qarabag side with a dismal record against English opposition...

Tottenham Hotspur v Qarabag FKThursday 25 September, 20:00Live on TNT Sports 1

Spurs ought to be dominant in the UEL on home soil

Spurs and Ange Postecoglou are back in Europe. For the London side, this will be their first game in European competition since a 0-0 draw with Milan in March 2023, while for Postecoglou it will be his first since a 5-1 defeat away to Real Madrid in November 2022 (in charge of Celtic).

Of course, both Spurs and their manager have a different level of difficulty this time round. From the Champions League to the Europa League, the underdog tag will be ceded and replaced with much loftier expectations, owing to the quality of their squad and 'lesser' competition. Postecoglou hasn't won any of his last eight games in Europe as a manager (D2 L6), but they were all in charge of Celtic in the Champions League, against the likes of Real Madrid and RB Leipzig.

Indeed, according to Opta's tournament predictor for this competition, Spurs have the fourth-best chance of winning the UEFA Europa League this term, factoring in both team strength and the likely difficulty of their path through the tournament. The Betfair Sportsbook odds compilers have them as 9/2 favourites, however.

In starting their campaign up against Qarabag on MD1, Postecoglou's side are, unsurprisingly, the inevitably big favourites 1/7. The Azerbaijan side have lost every game they've played against English sides in Europe by an aggregate score of 18-1, and haven't managed to score in the last five of those six total matches.

For Spurs, this will be their 25th home game under Postecoglou, while none of the previous 24 have ended in a draw (W16 L8). That tells us everything about the intentions of his side, who go out to attack in every game and bet on themselves to come out on top should the game turn into a shootout. In fact, the only away sides who've kept a clean sheet there in this run are Manchester City (2) and Arsenal.

Against weaker opposition here, expect a typically aggressive start from a home side who will want to dominate and play in the opponent's half. In the last 10 games where Spurs have opened the scoring, they have done so in the 15th minute or earlier on seven occasions. I expect we'll see them turn the screw early on in this one too.

An opportunity for Solanke to pick up scoring momentum

Spurs' club-record signing got off the mark at the weekend, scoring in their 3-1 win at home to Brentford. It wasn't a particularly memorable goal, nor did it require a great deal of striking instincts, but it served to get that first goal out of the way and relieve any pressure that might have been building. Today's game is an impatient one, and things ought to feel just a little bit easier for Solanke going forward.

Although it's a busy week for Spurs, keeping the 27-year-old in the starting XI for this one would represent a good opportunity for him to build on his scoring rhythm. At home to Qarabag, Spurs will want to get their European campaign off to a good start, and their likely dominance of possession and attacking territory should put Solanke in the frame to add to his tally.

Even if he doesn't play the full game, providing him the chance to score in back-to-back games before heading to Old Trafford on Sunday could give him an important boost, in what'll be a scrutinised fixture as far as Spurs' immediate credentials go.

Solanke has landed six shots on target in his first four games for his new club, including three in their victory against Brentford last time out. In fact, the Spurs striker racked up 1.61 xG alone in that match - that was more than 11 different Premier League sides managed at the weekend.

With Spurs averaging more than two goals per Premier League home game under Postecoglou (2.05), even with a few rotations to the XI this should be a game where they can lay their attacking strength on Qarabag. Should Solanke get the nod to remain at the head of the team, I can see him cashing in with a couple of goals to get his scoring momentum building.

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