Tottenham Hotspur aim to extend their perfect Champions League home record when they host Slavia Prague on Tuesday. Manager Thomas Frank expressed confidence in taking a step toward the knockout stages despite injury concerns. The visitors remain winless in the competition this season.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to welcome Slavia Prague to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a crucial UEFA Champions League league phase match on Tuesday at 20:00 GMT. Spurs, under manager Thomas Frank, seek a third consecutive home win in the competition without conceding, building on their recent 2-0 Premier League victory over Brentford—their first home league win since August.
Frank highlighted the importance of the fixture, stating he has a 'good feeling' the team can make a 'massive step' toward the last 16. 'It’s a very important one,' he said. 'So far, we have a perfect [home] record [in the Champions League]. Can we continue that?' He anticipates a physical challenge from Slavia, who employ direct play and man-marking. Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 22 European home games (W18 D4) and hold three clean sheets this season, second only to Arsenal's four.
Injuries pose challenges for Spurs. Destiny Udogie is sidelined until January with a hamstring injury sustained against Newcastle, while Randal Kolo Muani's status is uncertain after limping off against Brentford. Brennan Johnson is 'touch and go,' and Dominic Solanke remains out with an ankle issue. Long-term absentees include James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Frank plans rotation for freshness, noting bookings for Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, or Kolo Muani could lead to suspensions against Borussia Dortmund on January 20.
Slavia Prague sit three points from the play-off spots after three draws and two losses. Unbeaten in five matches across competitions since a 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal on November 4—including a 0-0 draw with Athletic Club—they have not scored in their last four Champions League games and are winless in 16 such matches since 2007 (D7 L9). Manager Jindrich Trpisovsky's side leads the competition in tackles (110) and features defender David Zima with 42 ball recoveries, second only to Athletic Club's Aitor Paredes (55). Oscar Dorley is absent, and Tomas Chory is doubtful due to illness.
Predicted lineups include for Tottenham: Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Djed Spence; Joao Palhinha, Lucas Bergvall; Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani; Richarlison. For Slavia: Jindrich Stanek; Tomas Holes, David Zima, Stepan Chaloupek; David Doudera, David Moses, Michal Sadilek, Jan Boril; Lukas Provod; Mojmir Chytil, Tomas Chory.
Opta's supercomputer gives Tottenham a 63% chance of victory, with a 20% draw probability and 17% for Slavia. The match holds added intrigue with Heung-min Son returning as a special guest, his first visit since leaving in the summer.
UK viewers can watch on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, or the Discovery Plus app.
