Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal

Having picked 10-man West Ham apart in a 3-0 win at the weekend, Tottenham begin their UEFA Champions League campaign with a tough opener against Villarreal, marking the first ever European meeting between the two clubs. For Spurs, it is a chance to build early momentum, but their historical record against Spanish opposition does not inspire confidence. They have won just one of their last 13 fixtures against sides from Spain in major European competition, with five draws and seven defeats in that run. Overcoming that trend will be a key test for Thomas Frank’s side. Tottenham’s own record in opening European fixtures is mixed. They have only won two of their seven opening games in European Cup or Champions League history, drawing twice and losing three times. However, there is encouragement in the fact that both victories came in their last two home openers: a 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and a 2-0 success against Marseille in 2022. Playing at home in front of an expectant crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may again prove decisive. A 4—3—3 formation with Richarlison, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus in attack may be seen.

Following a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, Villarreal arrive in London with struggles of their own when it comes to facing English teams in Europe’s premier club competition. Across 14 Champions League fixtures against English opposition, the Yellow Submarine are still searching for their first victory. Six draws and eight defeats tell the story, and worryingly for coach Marcelino, they have lost each of the last seven in a row. More than half of Villarreal’s defeats in the Champions League (57 percent) have come against English clubs, underlining the size of the task before them. This isn’t the first time Villarreal have opened a Champions League campaign against English opposition. Historically, it will be the third occasion in five appearances that they have done so. The previous two both came against Manchester United, in 2005 and 2008, and both finished 0-0. A repeat of that resilience would certainly be welcomed by Villarreal, given their recent poor run against Premier League sides. For Villarreal, this marks a return to the Champions League after their memorable 2021-22 run, when they reached the semi-finals before falling to Liverpool. That campaign did at least showcase improvement on the road, with three away victories from six matches – more than they managed in their three previous group-stage campaigns combined. A 4—4—2 formation with Georges Mikautadze and Pepe in attack is expected here.