By Ian King
Kind…the dreaded query
Nonetheless the torment continues for Spurs. One other dwelling match in opposition to mediocre opposition. One other half-time lead. One other full-time defeat. One other spherical of soul-searching. Daniel Levy has mentioned that Spurs are sticking with Ange Postecoglou, however for the way for much longer can the membership bear this pressure? They’re eight factors above the relegation locations for the time being and appear unable to beat anybody.
IK Elfsborg don’t have any league type. As a result of they’re a Swedish membership, they play a summer time league within the Allsvenskan, so their home season doesn’t begin till the top of March. Final season they completed seventh, with European qualification having been decided by them having been runners-up to Malmö again in 2023.
However they’ve been on this competitors for the reason that First Qualifying Spherical on the eleventh July, and with 9 wins in it up to now, they’ve gained extra video games on this yr’s Europa League than Spurs have on this yr’s Premier League. They’re in twentieth place within the 36-team mega-group they usually’ve already overwhelmed Roma, Good and Qarabağ within the group levels.
Historical past
These two golf equipment have by no means met earlier than, and Elfsborg have by no means confronted English opposition in Europe earlier than. Spurs have solely performed one Swedish workforce in Europe themselves, and beneath fairly ignominious circumstances; a 2-1 ‘dwelling’ defeat to Östers IF in a 1995 Intertoto Cup match performed on the now defunct Goldstone Floor in Brighton.
Key gamers
Mikey Moore is clearly a participant to observe, however he hasn’t fairly but proven his full potential within the Spurs first workforce and could also be hoping to offer folks one thing to recollect ought to he begin.
For Elfsborg, keep watch over Niklas Hult, who’s 34 and has performed in France, Germany and Greece, in addition to having made eight appearances for the Sweden nationwide workforce.
Group Information
James Maddison missed the weekend’s match in opposition to his former membership with harm, and Dominic Solanke will even be absent. In any other case, the present Spurs harm information stays “roughly all of them”. With their home season having ended greater than two months in the past, Elfsborg are anticipated to be at full power, although they did lose their prime goalscorer Michael Baidoo to Plymouth Argyle earlier this month.
Prediction
Spurs’ win in Hoffenheim final week was an indication that their season isn’t fairly over they usually solely want a win in opposition to modest opposition to get automated qualification to the subsequent spherical and not using a pesky playoff match in between. They need to win this comfortably, however then once more Everton and Leicester had been each modest opposition and everyone knows what occurred there.
However Elfsborg had a mean home league season in 2024 and their progress by means of the group stage has been considerably stop-start. They ought to undergo whatever the outcome on Thursday, and even a patched-up Spurs facet must be adequate to ease by means of 2-0 in opposition to them… shouldn’t they?
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
You possibly can comply with each sport from the Europa League with FotMob this season — that includes deep stats protection, xG, participant rankings, and a brand new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Obtain the free app right here.