Tottenham Hotspur v Inter Milan – Match Preview and Betting Tip
Tottenham are certainly having the happier time of the two teams this season, with Inter Milan currently outside of the Champions League qualifying positions for the second season in succession. Spurs, meanwhile, look likely at present to qualify for their second Champions League campaign, having reached the quarter-finals just two years ago. Of course, Inter won the competition only three years ago, but the descent of the Nerazzurri since then has been quite considerable. Where once Inter were considered one of the powerhouses of international football, they’re currently struggling to look anything more than a moderate outfit, and their existing team doesn’t have the star names that their Champions League and Serie A winning teams took for granted. There is no Ibra, Eto’o or Sneijder here, there are some ordinary workaday players in the contemporary Inter by comparison.
Nonetheless, a fixture with Inter Milan will whet the appetite of any group of supporters, particularly when it’s taking place in the Europa League, which can play host to some rather unappetising match-ups at times. This is certainly the toughest match Spurs could have faced in the last sixteen, at least in terms of the reputation, stature and pedigree of the club in question, and there will doubtless be a raucous atmosphere in White Hart Lane on a night of genuine anticipation.
The performance of Gareth Bale will be of particular interest, as the Welsh winger has become one of European football’s most sought after properties. One might wonder whether a delegation from Real Madrid might have popped down the road to London in order to watch this tie, after their Champions League win over Manchester United. This is a large European stage for Bale to show what he is capable of, and Inter will be wary of Tottenham’s star player, as he netted a memorable hat-trick against them when they met in the group stages of the Champions League just two seasons ago.
Jermain Defoe is likely to return to the Tottenham starting line-up for this game, as Emmanuel Adebayor is injured. Aside from that Moussa Dembele is also likely to miss out with a minor knee injury. Inter don’t have the flair and goal power that they once had, but they still have a formidable back four, and in common with all Italian sides, cannot be expected to roll over at the Lane.
Tottenham (possible 4-2-3-1): Friedel; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Livermore, Parker; Lennon, Bale, Sigurdsson; Defoe
Inter Milan (possible 4-2-3-1): Handanovic; Zanetti, Juan, Chivu, Pereira; Gargano, Cambiasso; Schelotto, Cassano, Guarin; Palacio
Betting Prediction: Tottenham simply look the stronger of these two sides on paper, despite Spurs suffering from a couple of injuries, and in Gareth Bale they have a true matchwinner. I’m sure this will be a pretty tight game, but I do see Spurs winning this one. I’m going to tip this to be a cagey 1-0 win for Tottenham, with the winner hard to come by, much like in the 0-0 draw they had with Lazio earlier in this competition. I would take the both teams not to score and under 2.5 goals bet as well.
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