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· NEW! - See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams!
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
83 51 18 14 179-66
(Winners 1972, 1984
Finalists 1974)
Total
P W D L F - A
124 75 24 25 265-113
Spartak's results in Europe this season:-
Champions Lge (Q3)
Spartak 1-4 Dynamo Kiev
Dynamo Kiev 4-1 Spartak
UEFA Cup (R1)
Banik Ostrava 0-1 Spartak
Spartak 1-1 Banik Ostrava
(R2)
Spartak 1-2 Udinese
Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Spartak
Spartak 1-2 NEC
UEFA CUP Round Two Group D Table:-
P W D L F-A PTS
1. Udinese 3 3 0 0 6-2 9
2. Spurs 3 2 0 1 5-2 6
3. NEC 3 1 0 2 4-5 3
4. Spartak Moscow 3 1 0 2 3-4 3
3. Dinamo Zagreb 4 1 0 3 4-9 3
This week's other game:-
N.E.C. v Udinese
The Russians are not coming, they've been here for ages! Yes, courtesy of Frank Arnesen and his employer at Chelski, our opponents have been in England for over a week now, using the Chelsea training facilities.
The nature of the Russian programme means that Spartak's last domestic fixture was a month ago on 22nd November, when they lost 3-1 at home to Zenit St. Petersburg. Since then, they have played two more UEFA Cup games, beating Zagreb away, but losing at home to NEC, which was something of a surprise.
Spartak were founded in 1922, and have a stadium with a capacity of over 87,000. An away game would certainly be most intimidating! Having said that they only had 35,000 present to watch that game against Zenit.
Spartak qualified for this competition as a result of finishing runners-up in their league last year, and through defeat (two thrashings!)against Dynamo Kiev in the qualifying round of the Champions League. Our own Roman Pavlyuchenko played in that tie, which means he cannot play for us, but no doubt he knows a lot about his former team, which he could tell Harry Redknapp, if only he has found an interpreter!
Managed by former Danish International Michael Laudrup, Spartak will struggle to qualify for Europe next season, as they have finished mid-table this time around, although they are through to the quarter-final of their Cup competition, in which they next play in April.
Pavlyuchenko is still joint top scorer in Spartak's league programme with 6 goals, along with Nikita Bazhenov, Aleksandr Pavlenko, and Brazilian Welliton, who has not played since May. Bazhenov is a striker and Pavlenko plays in midfield.
Spartak do have a former gooner on their books. He is midfielder Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, who is currently on loan to Birmingham, having played at Celta Vigo last season. Owusu-Abeyie played against Spurs at Academy and Reserve level only.
Spartak's last competitive game was on 3rd December, so they might be a little ring-rusty after over two weeks off, but I would not attach much significance to that situation, especially in the light of Spurs' injury list and compulsory unavailability of Pavlyuchenko and Corluka.
Ledley King is likely to be saved till Sunday's game at St. James' Park, whilst Woodgate and Jenas join other injured players Alan Hutton and Giovani. Darren Bent has apparently been laid low with tonsilitis, so it is a good job Fraizer Campbell is back in training. One or more Spurs youngsters are likely to feature in this game, but we should still start with a relatively strong and competitive line-up of Gomes; Gunter, Dawson, Zokora, Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Bentley; Modric and Campbell.
Just a point will guarantee our progress to the round of 32, but there are a couple of possible eventualities that could thwart our chances. (Spartak to beat us by two clear goals and NEC to beat Udinese by the same margin).
Spurs should be focussed upon winning and the (slim) possibility off finishing top of the group, and I'll take them to win an entertaining game. Incidentally, it is worth turning up on the night if you haven't got a ticket and fancy watching the game!
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