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· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· Last week's match report
Spurs record in Europe:-
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
P W D L F - A
67 43 13 11 151-50
(Winners 1972, 1984
Finalists 1974)
Total
P W D L F - A
108 67 19 22 237-97
Group B Table - Rd 2 (5)
P W D L F-A Pts
1. Spurs 4 4 0 0 9-2 12
2. D. Bucuresti 4 2 1 1 6-6 7
3. B. Leverkusen 4 1 1 2 4-5 4
4. Besiktas 4 1 0 3 4-7 3
4. Club Brugge 4 0 2 2 4-7 2
Sevilla's results in Europe this season
Atromitos 1-2 Sevilla
Sevilla 4-0 Atromitos
Slovan Liberec 0-0 Sevilla
Sevilla 2-0 Sporting Braga
Grasshoppers 0-4 Sevilla
Sevilla 1-2 AZ Alkmaar
Group Table - Rd 2 (5)
P W D L F-A Pts
1.AZ Alkmaar 4 3 1 0 12-5 10
2.Sevilla 4 2 1 1 7-2 7
3.Sporting Braga 4 2 0 2 6-5 6
4.Slovan Liberec 4 1 2 1 6-7 5
5.Grasshoppers 4 0 0 4 3-15 0
St. Bucuresti 0-2 Sevilla
Sevilla 1-0 St. Bucuresti
Sevilla 2-2 Shaktar Donetsk
Shaktar 2-3 Sevilla
Sevilla 2-1 Spurs
There is no doubt that this is Spurs biggest European game at White Hart Lane since the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final of 18th March, 1992. Spurs were 1-0 down after the away leg, but were unable to break through the Feyenoord defence, thus losing by that solitary goal. In the 1985 quarter-final of the UEFA Cup, Spurs lost again by a single goal, this time to Real Madrid. Spurs fans have every intention of making White Hart Lane as noisy and victorious as that famous night of May 1984, when Tony Parks' heroics (not to mention those of Graham Roberts and the rest of the team) gave us our last European Trophy.
This one is going to be hard. Whilst we have been buoyed today by the news that Ledley King is in the squad, there are rumours that his fitness is not good enough for him to start. We shall see! In any event, the Spurs defence will have to miss Rocha, as usual through ineligibility, and Gardner and now Young-Pyo Lee through injury. Spurs still haven't confirmed the Korean rumours that Lee will be out now for the remainder of the season, but he has sustained a knee injury. Paul Stalteri is also doubtful with a hip injury. The back line could read Phil Ifil, Dawson, Chimbonda and Tainio at left back.
Sevilla's coach Juande Ramos again rested players in his team's League match last Sunday, when they drew 0-0 at home to 8th placed Racing Santander. Once again, full respect is being paid to Spurs in an effort to become only the second side to defend the UEFA Cup.
The two teams had never met before last week's game in European competition, but Spurs had played in Seville in the pre-season Kappa Cup three years ago.
Sevilla striker Fabiano is available for this game, but I understand that first choice keeper Palop will have to miss out. If Spurs are going to progress, Tainio, Chimbonda and Berbatov will have to look out, as another booking would exclude them from their next European game.
Spurs of course are bidding to join such prestigious company as Liverpool, Inter Milan, and Juventus as the only three-time winners of this trophy. The winners of tomorrow night's game will surely fancy their chances of making progress to Hampden Park for the Final in May.
Despite the trouble in Sevilla's stadium last week, I expect a warm and friendly atmosphere between the two sets of fans, and no headlines for the wrong reasons.
The Spurs crowd can make all the difference tomorrow, and of course an early goal would help. However, I cannot see the game ending in the 1-0 scoreline that would be required for Spurs away goal to come into the equation. I fancy more goals than that, and it might even be 3-1 to a Spurs side that follows its natural instincts to attack, which will also need to ease the pressure on a make-shift defence.
COME ON YOU SPURS!
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