Tottenham Hotspur virtually self-destruct in their most recent fixture. Taking the lead at the Emirates is vital but losing in it the way they did is suicidal. The early dismissal of goal scorer Emmanuel Adebayor saw Spurs lose the plot. They went from leading 1-0 to losing 5-2.
While some disappointed supporters would put the blame on the referee, others may single out Andre Villas-Boas for criticism. The Portuguese coach seems to struggle with lack of ideas on the pitch. The fact is that Tottenham Hotspur have won only two of their last six matches in all competitions. The rest all ended in defeat.
With this bad run, Spurs are under a lot of pressure to get back to winning ways. A stellar performance by Jermaine Defoe on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Europa poured water on the fire of criticism. Now Andre Villas-Boas and his men must build on that victory to excel further in the competition.
Lazio are not going to be an easy team to beat. The Italian outfit recently defeat Roma and claimed a point away to Juventus in the Italian Serie A. Meanwhile, having lost twice on the trot in the English Premier League lately, low momentum is troubling Spurs. However, every game is a new one. The fact that the Londoners are not performing on the domestic front may push them to reach higher levels in Europe.
In the first leg of this encounter, Tottenham and Lazio drew goalless. A repeat of that score line would keep both sides on top of Group J. However, UEFA Europa League manager AVB could use his expertise to fire his team on top of the table after a slow start to the campaign.
Lazio’s last three matches:
November 8, 2012: Lazio 3-0 Panathinaikos (Europa League)
November 11, 2012: Lazio 3-2 Roma (Italian Serie A)
November 17, 2012: Juventus 0-0 Lazio (Italian Serie A)
Tottenham Hotspur’s last three matches:
November 8, 2012: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Maribor (Europa League)
November 11, 2012: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (EPL)
November 17, 2012: Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur (EPL)
Prediction
The visitors will perhaps not do enough to finish Matchday 5 on top of their group. However, they may avoid defeat.
Result: Lazio 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
