Tottenham Hotspur had a memorable Premier League match last weekend. They took on West Ham in an opening day London derby. In the first half, Spurs seemed to be on the ropes. They gave away a penalty. Mark Noble stepped up to take it but could not convert. Kyle Naughton was also given his marching orders. Mauricio Pochettino did not do what plenty of managers might have done; it was just too early in the match to do so. He did not take his attacking players off the pitch.
He was rewarded in injury time in the second half. Spurs had to hold on but they did better than that; they scored a goal. Eric Dier scored in the seconde minute of injury time to hand three points to Spurs. Of course, at this point, ten were playing against ten; James Collins collected a second yellow card in the second half and received his marching orders.
Spurs will go in with confidence against Limassol but they will be without Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen. Aaron Lennon has not traveled to Larnaca as well. Younes Kaboul and Etienne Capoue have not been included in the squad. Pochettino though should still be able to field a strong line up. Also, Pochettino would do well to remind himself that in the event that Spurs does not finish in the top four, a feat they have not managed to achieve since Harry Redknapp's departure, they can enter the UEFA Champions League by winning the Europa League.
The problem with the Europa League of course is the fact that it is an extra burden on teams. Teams have to travel to little known corners of Europe to play matches. Fatigue becomes a big issue as a result. Also, the league results of teams which take this competition seriously is affected negatively more often than not. Pochettino has to find the right balance.
Can Spurs take a lead to Larnaca next week?
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch AEL Limassol vs Tottenham Hotspur live on Thursday, August 22, 2014:
In the US at 12.00 EST on
- Online & Apps: beIN SPORTS CONNECT
In Canada at 12.00 ET on:
- Online & Apps: beIN Sports CONNECT Canada
In the UK at 17.00 BST on:
- Audio / Radio: BBC Radio
For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the Limassol vs Spurs match page.
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