Tottenham Hotspur are set to host Qarabag this Thursday, 26th September, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for MD1 of their UEFA Europa League campaign.
Coming off two consecutive victories, a 3-1 win against Brentford in the Premier League and a 2-1 triumph over Coventry in the Carabao Cup, Spurs are eager to kick off their European journey on a high note.
Despite the recent successes, concerns linger from the earlier part of the season, where Tottenham managed just four points from their first four league matches. As they prepare to face the Azerbaijani league leaders, who are enjoying a three-match winning streak, the pressure is on to secure a positive result.
Tottenham predicted starting XI vs Qarabag: Mikey Moore to start
In terms of squad availability, Spurs will be without Richarlison and Wilson Odobert due to injuries, while Cristian Romero is suspended. This opens the door for young talents like Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore, and Archie Gray to step up, alongside Brandon Austin.
Rodrigo Bentancur, whose suspension does not apply to European competitions, is expected to play to maintain his match sharpness. He showcased impressive form during his 63 minutes against Brentford and should have no trouble against Qarabag.
Archie Gray is also poised to make his second start of the season, likely filling in at right-back with Djed Spence absent from the Europa League squad. Given Pedro Porro’s current inactivity with the national team, it makes sense for Ange Postecoglou to rely on Gray for this fixture.
Brandon Austin, who signed a new contract this summer, is a strong candidate for the starting goalkeeper position. With Fraser Forster failing to impress against Coventry, this match provides an ideal opportunity for Austin to prove himself, especially as it will be a less demanding game for the backline.
Dominic Solanke will be looking to build on his goal against Brentford, and this match presents a perfect chance to maintain his momentum. Although many teams typically rest key players in cup competitions, the early stage of the season means Solanke should be fresh enough to contribute.
Additionally, Yves Bissouma, having played only 181 minutes in the league this season, will benefit from this match to sharpen his skills, especially considering Bentancur’s potential ban.
Predicted Tottenham lineup vs Qarabag: Austin; Gray, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Davies; Bentancur, Bissouma; Johnson, Bergvall, Moore; Solanke.
Tottenham academy graduate Mikey Moore could be handed an opportunity in their Europa League opener against Qarabag.
The North London club have had a mixed start to the 2024/25 season. While they have been playing an impressive brand of football, they haven’t got the desired results so far. After successive losses against Newcastle United and Arsenal in the Premier League, Spurs returned to winning ways against Brentford.
Now, they will look to build on that result when they host Qarabag in their opening Europa League fixture. Ange Postecoglou will look to mix things up and hand opportunities to a few of their young stars and according to a post from the club yesterday, Mikey Moore was left out of Tottenham’s Under-21 squad to face Exeter City on Wednesday. It seems highly likely that he could be a part of the Europa League squad now.
The 17-year-old attacking sensation is considered to be one of the best young players to have come up the ranks at Spurs. He was a part of their squad for the fixture against Bournemouth and came on for a two-minute cameo.
Missing out from the Under-21 squad suggests he will once again be a part of their first-team squad. This time around, he could have an even bigger role as Postecoglou seems to have a lot of trust in the youngster.
Given the kind of impact he has had at the youth level and the fact he can feature in multiple roles up top, the Australian manager could continue to trust in him and Moore could regularly be seen in the senior team moving ahead.
