Tottenham Hotspur will turn their attention towards Europe on Wednesday evening when they host Marseille at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their first Group D fixture.
The north Londoners pipped arch-rivals Arsenal to the fourth and the final Champions League spot last season under Antonio Conte. The Italian tactician has built a solid side and guided Spurs to a promising start to the 2022/23 campaign. They are currently third on the table, a point behind table-toppers Arsenal.
In what is such a tricky group that also includes Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting CP, Antonio Conte will be hoping for a winning start against a strong Marseille side.
Tottenham Team News
Tottenham were boosted by the returns of Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur to the starting XI against Fulham on Saturday, which leaves Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil as Antonio Conte’s only two injury absentees ahead of their opening European fixture.
Predicted Tottenham Lineup vs Marseille (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris has been the No.1 under Antonio Conte and will start between the sticks in the Tottenham lineup against Marseille.
Defence
Conte will stick to his 3-4-2-1 system, which means a three-man backline will guard Lloris. The return of Cristian Romero from injury is a big boost to Spurs, and having played the entire game against Fulham at the weekend, the Argentinean centre-back will be raring to go again in midweek.
Romero will partner Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet at the back in the Tottenham lineup, with Lenglet likely getting the nod over Davinson Sanchez due to his solid European pedigree. Spurs’ back three will need to be at their best for the entire game to keep a free-scoring Marseille side at bay.
Midfield
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg should be the preferred choice to reprise the holding midfield role against Marseille. Partnering Højbjerg in central midfield will be Rodrigo Bentancur, who will bring energy and dynamism to the Tottenham lineup
The onus will be on Højbjerg and Bentancur to control the tempo of the game against Igor Tudor’s side. Emerson Royal will likely keep his place at right wing-back, with Ivan Perisic possibly being favoured over Ryan Sessegnon on the other flank in the Tottenham lineup.
Attack
Richarlison replaced Dejan Kulusevski in the starting XI against Fulham and impressed, bagging an assist for Højbjerg’s goal. The Brazilian is likely to be rewarded for a good showing with a start in midweek.
Son Heung-min hasn’t hit his usual standards so far this season but Conte is unlikely to drop him from the first XI, so Kulusevski perhaps will need to accept another substitute role. As usual, Harry Kane, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the new season, will spearhead the Spurs attack against Marseille.
