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Spurs Odyssey Europa League Preview - FK Partizan v Spurs, 18.09.14

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Spurs record in Europe:-
The official crest of Tottenham Hotspur
 
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
120  70  30  20  247-99 
 
(Winners 1972, 1984
 Finalists 1974)
 
Total
P    W   D   L   F - A
173 99  39  35  352-165
The club logo of FK Partizan

Talk about Partizan!

According to Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the fact that Danny Rose is amongst those Spurs players not travelling to Belgrade has nothing to do with the friction that exists between Rose and Partizan winger Nikola Ninkovic, who was involved in the melee a couple of years ago in an under-21 game, after which Rose was sent off for his response to racist abuse.

Nonetheless, that incident is bound to be remembered by the enthusiastic home crowd, who will surely be under close UEFA scrutiny for any adverse behaviour to other black Spurs players. Adebayor, Kaboul, Chadli and Dembele have also not travelled, but one must assume that Pochettino wants these players fresh for Sunday's Premier League game against West Brom.

Roberto Soldado is now fit, and will be in the frame, and probably selected to start this game. Players such as Michel Vorm, Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli may get full debuts. With only Kyle Walker on the injury list, Spurs do have plenty of resources. Our own Serb, Milos Veljkovic has travelled and is hoping for some involvement.

The last time we played a team from Belgrade was in November and December 1972, when we faced the famous Red Star Belgrade in a two leg UEFA Cup tie. Marshall Tito was still holding together the old Yugoslavia, and Bill Nicholson was still managing Spurs. Chivers and Gilzean gave us a two goal home win, which was enough to give us passage, despite losing the away leg 1-0 in front off a massive 75,000 crowd.

Red Star (now properly known by the name Crvena Zvezda) are FK Partizan's close rivals, both geographically, and in their national league. The two teams have shared the league title over the last 11 years, with Partizan having numerical supremacy. It was Red Star who won the league last season though, with Partizan as runners-up. Partizan were thus given access to the early Champions League qualifiers, where they succumbed to Liverpool's opponents this week, Ludogorets. Partizan only lost on the away goals rule though, having drawn 0-0 away but 2-2 at home. Funnily enough, last season the same two teams met at the same qualifying stage of the Champions League, when Ludogorets won both legs.

Indeed, our opponents tonight have yet to lose a game of football this season, after 11 games in all competitions. They have won all 9 games other than those matches against Ludogorets. Unsurprisingly therefore, Partizan top the league with Red Star two points behind them.

Partizan's top scorer is 31 year old International Danko Lazovic, with five league goals to his name, and 8 goals including those European games. Another danger man will be Montenegro's Petar Skuletic, who has 9 goals to his name, including 5 in the last four matches. Partizan have been a free scoring side this season.

The big issue for the home side is how they can perform against a high ranking English team. They didn't reach the Europa League proper last year, and were knocked out in a qualifier in 2011 by Shamrock Rovers in the same year we convincingly beat the Irish team at home and away.

Andros Townsend scored for Spurs in their 4-0 away win against Shamrock Rovers, and will be hoping for a start tonight. Paulinho seems to be a second string player in Pochettino's thinking at present, and will also probably feature tonight. Lamela has travelled, but perhaps will start on the bench. Aaron Lennon will be looking for a start.

A possible Spurs team is Vorm; Naughton, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Stambouli, Paulinho; Townsend, Kane, Lennon; Soldado, but who am I to read Pochettino's mind?

Spurs will be looking for their 100th win in all European competitions tonight, in their 174th such game. They have enough in the armoury to do that, but could do with an early goal to subdue the home crowd, who will no doubt be orchestrated into a frenzy of vocal support.

Tonight's referee will be Mr Alon Yefet, who we have not met before. All the officials are from Israel.

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