Spurs commence their 2022/23 Champions League campaign against Olympique Marseille of France on Wednesday night, kick-off at 8 pm BST. This Group D curtain raiser is our first Champions League match since March 2020, where a depleted Spurs missing Harry Kane and Heung-min Son crashed out to RB Leipzig in the last sixteen 4-0 on aggregate.
Luckily, we will be able to count on the services of the deadly duo this time around, but whether or not we will see both take to the field remains to be seen, with matches now coming thick and fast, both continentally and domestically.
Indeed, Antonio Conte has decisions to make as far as rotation is concerned. Given that this is our first match of the group, we need to get off to as fast of a start as possible, making it likely that we do see both Kane and Son from the off
However, with Richarlison impressing against Fulham (as he has done in every other appearance he has made this season, in all fairness to him), will we see him or Kulusevski displace our beloved double act, or is it a shoot-out between the Swede and the Brazilian for the last spot in our front three?
Conte is yet to address the media ahead of the match, but it would be safe to assume that we will be unable to rely on the services of Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil, who have been out of action for the past few weeks, and are showing no imminent signs of returning to the matchday fold. Given that neither has yet to start this season anyway, this isn’t a significant issue, as we live in a world where neither is seriously threatening the aforementioned attacking quartet.
Nevertheless, Conte has a mini-selection headache regarding the backline and midfield pivot. Does he rest one of Hojbjerg or Bentancur to bring in Bissouma? I would expect him to resist this temptation, with an added emphasis on retaining Bentancur in particular due to his ability to beat the opposition press. With Marseille renowned for their intensity, his slick passing ability and tight ball control will be vital to playing through them.
Moreover, will Conte be tempted to shuffle the wing-backs? I can’t see Royal being dropped, as he has started every game this season, and his conservative style may come in handy against the visitors’ press. Regarding the left-flank, I can foresee Perisic’s European experience and pedigree being called upon, with the fresh legs of Sessegnon on standby from the bench if needs be.
I would stick with the same back three that saw out the victory against Fulham, as Marseille’s frantic pressing style is likely to cause Sanchez problems on the ball when we play out from defence. Therefore, the more comfortable passing outlets we have from the back, the better. That said, you could flip a coin as to who starts between Lenglet and Davies; although the former’s passing out from the back is likely to come in handy, as well as his experience in Ligue Un and the Champions League.
Our opponents have few injury issues to contend with. According to Sports Mole, Dimitri Payet is likely to miss Wednesday’s encounter with a calf problem. Defender Samuel Gigot is out with an unspecified injury, with strikers Cedric Bakambu and Bamba Dieng also absent following their omission from Marseille’s Champions League squad.
The report thus states that we can expect to see many an ex-Gunner in the visitors’ line-up, with Sead Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez, Nuno Taveres, and Matteo Guendouzi all expected to start. Anyone in attendance Wednesday night, have your boos at the ready…
Although Marseille is the lowest ranked club in Group D, ranking in 35th place, after Spurs in 11th, Sporting Lisbon in 24th, and Eintracht Frankfurt in 29th according to Euro Club Index, they are no mugs, having ended up as last season’s Ligue Un runners-up and Europa League Conference League semi-finalists. They have also kicked off their domestic campaign like a house on fire, with five wins and a draw from their opening six games in Ligue Un (read more on our opponents in a piece I wrote yesterday here).
As always in the Champions League, a tough match awaits, but if our levels vaguely resemble anything like the stuff we served against Fulham on Saturday (bar the wastefulness in the final third and defensive lapses), then we should have too much for Les Olympiens. COYS!
We are about to find out what Conte thinks of the players as so many matches in such a short period will require much rotation. Any player who fails to see the pitch is unlikely to see the pitch.
We are going to win this, I said on the other thread 2-1 but think maybe 3-1. COYS
This is where we want to be, the atmosphere will be buzzing. They are top of their table after been hit n miss for a few years. Coys.
I hope we see the likes of Forster, Doherty, Tanganga, and others. Marseille are hot right now but we should still be able to beat them at home.
I am trying to get tickets for the return game in Marseille – should be a great atmosphere.
BS …. It would be sweet if you get to attend the return and we have a nice lead …. just to reduce the stress level!
We need to put out close to a full strength team, get 3 points on the board.
Players fought hard to get top4 so players like tanganga should not be near the 1st 11 also he is not that good.
Yeah I’d resist any temptation to bring in those that haven’t played for a while, need to play as strong of a team as possible and get off to a strong start, and if we rake enough points in, rotate later on down the line if we’ve established a strong position in the group.
Lloris
Romero Dier Lenglet
Royal Hojbjerg Bentancur Perisic
Richarlison Son
Kane
HT
Your suggested starting 11 looks quite nice and capable of play beautiful and winning football. Not merely pretty football, as someone put it on a previous thread, but beautiful football–in the sense that Pelé put it when he was at the height of a career of winning playing “o jogo belo” –the beautiful game the winsthe right way. The beautiful game should not be confused with looking pretty as you run about the pitch. It means playing in a way that is beautiful to watch and play because it is focused on both ends of the pitch in the most beautiful, winning, and entertaining way possible.
Your suggested line up seems capable to playing that way, and that’s what they should do today
Hi TK…
That is the actual starting eleven.
Hey, HT
I’m satisfied with that eleven. I hadn’t realized it was the starting lineup. There such a tradition of naming our desired lineups on VS. And I had to go through the agro of paying and setting the app I need to watch the match. Just logged on to Paramount+ (I’m in NY City for another six weeks before moving back to Brazil for a few months. With any luck I’ll be about to spend more time there than here.
COYS. give us what we all really want–beautiful winning football. Keep us delighted for all the minutes the ball is un action on the pitch
THFC was not the better team on the pitch in the first half. A half step to a full step behind too much of the time.
I hope Conte is up to snuff with his curses in multiple languages. As a group they need to be shocked awake. Sleep waliking won’t work.
Dredging the nadir of mediocrity.
We are at home, we take control we attack, you worry about us.
Liverpool embarrassing Premier League football today. Down 3 goals at the half?
2 arsenal rejects and a united rejects. Come on take a shot on goal at least. To dare is to do
Now let’s make this count
Lloris not providing any sense of confidence today. What was he thinking on a couple of those? Why was he punching at a ball that could fall into his hands unimpeded.
First time watching a match on Paramount+, a paid streaming app. but the damned match doesn’t stream as much a freeze much of the time. I don’t think there’s an alternative to watch CL in North America this season. This first experience is terrible. Horrible service so far. Paramount+ is playing worse than Liverpool today.
60 minutes into the match as so far all CL matches are frozen in the second half. Disgusted.
This is the worst experience for me yet with any streaming service watching any sporting event.
All I’ve seen in the second half is a circling circle of blue letting me know it’s not loading. Paramount OUT!
Still haven’t tested the keeper 70min.