MY ACCOUNT
– Tottenham have won just one of their previous six away matches in the Champions League
– Spurs have failed to score on the road in Europe this season
– Recommended Bet: Marseille to win
Tottenham may be leading the way in Group D of the Champions League but they face a tricky trip to Marseille on Tuesday evening and may have to settle for a place in the Europa League.
Spurs hold a one-point advantage over Sporting Lisbon and Eintracht Frankfurt, who are second and third respectively, while Marseille sit in fourth and are two points off top.
Antonio Conte’s men will qualify for the next round if they avoid defeat in France, but a loss coupled with a win for either Sporting or Eintracht would see the Premier League outfit drop to third, while a draw for Sporting would also be enough to send them through at Spurs’ expense.
Team news
Ivory Coast international Eric Bailly, on loan from Manchester United, is unavailable for Marseille due to injury, but fellow centre-back Samuel Gigot is back after missing the weekend draw with Strasbourg.
Senegal international Bamba Dieng opened his account for the season in that draw against Le Racing, but his place in the starting XI is expected to be taken by Alexis Sanchez, who has scored twice in the 2022-23 Champions League.
Tottenham are without attacking pair Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski, who are sidelined with calf and hamstring injuries respectively, while defender Christian Romero missed the win at Bournemouth on Saturday and remains a doubt.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic all came on as second-half substitutes at the Vitality Stadium and the trio are expected to be restored to the starting line-up.
The stats
Spurs ended a three-game winless run last time out with a stirring comeback victory against Bournemouth, as they came from 2-0 down to snatch a thrilling 3-2 victory on the south coast.
That victory was Tottenham’s second win from their last three away assignments, but they have struggled to replicate these performances in Europe, as they have won just one of their previous six road matches in the Champions League.
Marseille are in the middle of a sticky run of form and they are without a win from their last four games across all competitions, losing to Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Eintracht before drawing with Strasbourg.
Igor Tudor’s side did beat Sporting 4-1 in their last European contest at the Stade Velodrome, so they are capable of producing a great performance in their own backyard, but they have not beaten an English team in the Champions League since 2010.
Prediction
Marseille’s recent run of form may not make for fantastic reading but they will fancy their chances of getting the better of a Tottenham side that have looked a little weary and are suffering with injuries in key positions.
The absence of both Richarlison and Kulusevski has thrown more pressure onto the shoulders of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, who has scored twice from five Champions League outings this season.
Spurs were forced to put in a huge shift against the Cherries and they have another huge clash at home to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
There is just the feeling Tuesday’s trip to France could be a step too far for a squad feeling the effects of a hectic schedule and Marseille, roared on by a vociferous home crowd, look like they can come up trumps to win the match at 15/8 with LiveScore Bet.
