Tottenham Hotspur to ease past Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Europa League

Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Tottenham - 17/09/2020

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Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention to the Europa League on Thursday night as they head to Bulgaria to play Lokomotiv Plovdiv.

Spurs crashed and burned on opening day of the Premier League, losing 1-0 to Everton. In the aftermath of the loss, Mourinho attacked his players’ fitness and performances. Confidence may be low in north London.

Thursday night’s game will allow Mourinho to get his team up to snuff in terms of fitness and pressing, which were two of the areas he was not happy with over the weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur are miles ahead of Lokomotiv Plovdiv in terms of talent, but the one-off nature of Thursday night’s Europa League second qualifying round game may create an atmosphere of anything can happen. Therefore, Spurs need to take control of the game early on.

Mourinho continues to shape his club and rumours of Gareth Bale and Segio Reguilon being on their ways to north London are making the rounds. Even with those players, it is arguable that Spurs are good enough qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

Qualifying for the Europa League group stage could dent Spurs’ fight for the top four. Mourinho will most likely play fringe players, if they can qualify for the tournament proper, however.

Mourinho has two players fighting for fitness. Defender Japhet Tanganga is ruled out with an injury, but midfielder Giovani Lo Celso could make the squad. Mourinho could take several of his first-team players to Bulgaria in a bid to get them fit.

The winner of Thursday night’s game will meet either Romania’s Botosani or Macedonia’s Shkendija in the third qualifying round. On paper, Tottenham Hotspur should have an easy route to the playoff round of the competition.

English sides have played well in the Europa League over the last two seasons. In 2018-19, Arsenal and Chelsea met in the final with the latter claiming the trophy. Last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers reached the quarterfinals while Manchester United made the semifinals.

It is safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur are uninspiring under Mourinho. Rather than fixing the issues that occurred in the final days of Mauricio Pochettino, Mourinho has torn things down and haphazardly put them back up.

It is only working part of the time in the Premier League and didn’t work at all in last season’s Champions League knockout round. Spurs are better than Lokomotiv Plovdiv and should progress with a win to nil away from home.

Loko lost 3-1 at the weekend to league rival Ludogorets. They should fall once more as Spurs claim a Europa League second qualifying round win away.

Home team
Away team

Probability %

1X2

Pred

Correct score

Avg. goals

Weather conditions

Coef.

Score

Live
coef.

UEL

Lokomotiv Plovdiv Tottenham 17/09/2020 18:00

273241

2

0 - 2

1.59

23°

1.20

11.75 5.85 1.20 1 1 -1

FT

1 - 2(0 - 0)

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