Greek Trouble For Struggling Spurs

Both Spurs and Asteras go into this week’s game with their Europa League campaigns hanging in the balance. Can either team take control with a win?

Form
Since losing 5-1 at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago Asteras have bounced back with a 3-2 win in Crete and a goalless draw at home to Olympiakos and now occupy fifth position in the Greek Super League, eight points behind leaders PAOK Salonika.

Jeronimo Barrales is the club’s top scorer this season with four goals in just five starts, including Asteras’s consolation goal in the game at the Lane.

Staikos Vergetis’s side have not lost a home game all season including fixtures against Olympiakos and Partizan. Don’t expect Spurs to have things all their own way here.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men suffered a Europa League hangover on the Sunday after they beat Asteras 5-1, but have since bounced back with wins against Brighton in the Capital One Cup and Aston Villa in the Premier League. Although the latter was far from convincing as two late goals turned the game on its head following a Christian Benteke red card when Villa were leading 1-0.

Harry Kane scored the winner at Villa Park adding to the five that he has scored in the Europa League and two in the Capital One Cup this season. Nacer Chadli also found the back of the net in that game, taking his tally for the campaign to five, all of which have come in the Premier League.

Team News
Hugo Lloris will not be available following the red card that he received in the reverse of this fixture, which should mean a rare start for summer signing Michel Vorm. Harry Kane looks to have done enough in recent weeks to warrant a berth in Spurs’ Premier League starting XI, so it will be interesting to see whether Pochettino still opts to start him in the Europa League. Nabil Bentaleb and Kyle Walker definitely miss out through injury, while Aaron Lennon is a doubt.

Head-to-Head
Kane’s hat-trick and an Erik Lamela brace, including that special rabona goal, guided Spurs to a comfortable 5-1 win in the game at the Lane, with Asteras’s response only coming courtesy of a Harry Kane error after he replaced Hugo Lloris between the sticks for the final few minutes.

Recommended Bets
Having dismantled Asteras 5-1 just a couple of weeks ago you’d expect Spurs to be a lot shorter than the 8/11 being offered about them winning tonight.

But the Greeks are a different proposition on home soil and we shouldn’t be fooled into backing Tottenham at apparently generous odds.

Instead look to the Double Chance market where Asteras-Draw is priced at odds of 21/20.

Likewise, we shouldn’t expect another goal fest and can take advantage of the Evens being offered about Under 2.5 goals. 0-0 is priced at odds of 10/1 in the Correct Score market, while the No selection in the Both Teams To Score market also stands out at odds of 21/20.