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Spurs' record in Europe:-

 
U.E.F.A Champions League
 
 P   W   D   L   F - A
12   5   3   4  25 -19
 
European Cup
P   W   D   L   F - A
8   4   1   3  21 - 13
 
(Semi-Finalists 1962)
 
European Cup Winners Cup
 
P   W   D   L   F - A
33  20  5   8  65 - 34
 
(Winners 1963)
 
UEFA Cup/Europa League
 P    W   D   L   F - A
121  70  31  20  247-99 
 
(Winners 1972, 1984
 Finalists 1974)

 
Total
P    W   D   L   F - A
174 99  40  35  352-165


Europa League Group C
                  P  W  D  L  F-A  GD  PTS
Asteras Tripolis  1  0  1  0  1-1   0   1
Besiktas          1  0  1  0  1-1   0   1
Spurs             1  0  1  0  0-0   0   1
Partizan          1  0  1  0  0-0   0   1 

Win your home games, Spurs!

It's amazing to think that is a full 8 years since we played Besiktas on their soil in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup phase, where five teams were placed in groups, and played each other only once, either at home or away. In this case, we had to travel to Istanbul, and face the onslaught of a highly vociferous and volatile crowd.

I well remember one of my Spurs friends, who had managed to travel to the game, but had to sit in the main home stand, which he said was literally rocking. Luckily for him, and for Spurs, the crowd was ultimately quelled, thanks to a 2-0 win, with goals scored by Hossam Ghaly, and Dimitar Berbatov. Those goals were enough to subdue the crowd, who turned on their own players, and applauded the Spurs team off the pitch. (Besiktas 0 Spurs 2 - 19th October 2006)

That season was our first excursion to Europe for 7 years, but it heralded a sequence of 8 out of 9 seasons in which we have been playing European football. We got as far as the quarter-finals, in which we were beaten by Juande Ramos's Sevilla, and we all know what happened after that!

Aaron Lennon was in his second season at Tottenham, and came on as a substitute that night. The only other member of our current playing staff (and that term has to be accompanied by a question mark in this case) involved that night was Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who is still a registered player, but not included in our squad lists for the period until January. For Besiktas, defender Serdar (now aged 27) played against us, and is in their squad now, having had his Besiktas career interrupted by four seasons with Gaziantepspor.

Back in 2006, Besiktas were managed by former Fulham man Jean Tigana. Their current leader is well known to English fans, Slaven Bilic, once a player for West Ham and Everton. I believe that at one time Spurs were interested in his services, during the period when fellow Croatians such as Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar were at the club.

Besiktas finished third in their league last season, and earned the right to enter the qualifying stages of the Champions League. They beat Feyenoord at home and away in the third qualifying round, but were beaten by Arsenal in the final (play-off) round. The home leg finished 0-0, and a 45th minute Sanchez goal (his first for the club) was enough to see the gooners through to the Group Stage.

Besiktas have played four league games so far, and sit second in the table with 8 points, winning two and drawing two games. Their top scorer with three goals in those games is Turkish International Olcay Sahan, who was born and played in Germany, but chose his family's land of origin for International football.

Significantly, Besiktas have signed Chelsea's Demba Ba. He scored a hat-trick for them in one of the games against Feyenoord, but hasn't scored in any other game he has played for the Turkish side (6 in all).

Having drawn our first Group C game, we are still looking for our 100th win in a European competitive match, in what will be our 175th such game. Mauricio Pochettino is obviously going to ring the changes again, and I can't see him changing the "B team" much. Hugo Lloris will probably play this one, and possibly captain the side, with a back line perhaps reading Dier, Fazio, Chiriches and Davies.

I won't go through the whole team, but I doubt that many other members off last Saturday's team will start tonight.

Besiktas drew their first Group game at home to Asteras Tripolis, who will be at home to Partizan Belgrade tonight. Spurs need to kick start their campaign, and ideally need to win those home games. Hopefully that will happen tonight, and I'll pick Spurs to win 2-1.

Tonight's officials are from Germany. The referee is Manuel Grafe, who we have not previously encountered. Herr Grafe has not failed to issue a card in any match where he has officiated in the last year. Tonight is unlikely to be an exception.

· On this day 10 years ago, a Noe Pamarot goal gave us all three points at Goodison Park

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