Antwerp vs Tottenham Hotspur; UEFA Europa League Group J
Antwerp vs Tottenham Hotspur. UEFA Europa League Group J.
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Antwerp vs Tottenham preview, team news, kick-off
Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier in contention for Spurs; follow with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms, plus analysis and reaction after full-time
Wednesday 28 October 2020 14:11, UK
Team news and stats ahead of Antwerp vs Spurs in the Europa League group stage on Thursday; kick-off 5.55pm.
Team news
Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier have been training for Tottenham ahead of their Europa League trip to Royal Antwerp.
Both men missed Monday's win at Burnley with what boss Jose Mourinho called "little injuries", but they trained on Wednesday. Only Japhet Tanganga missed out through injury as he battles a thigh problem.
Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius are expected to start while Dele Alli is in line to feature having not been named in the 18-man squad for the 1-0 victory over the Clarets at Turf Moor.
Antwerp boss Ivan Leko is unlikely to make significant changes to the side which beat Beerschot at the weekend.
Former Manchester United and Leicester City defender Ritchie De Laet should feature in a three-man backline, while Aurelio Buta could start at wing-back.
Antwerp at a glance
In the dugout: A former Croatia international, Ivan Leko guided the club to Belgian Cup success last season and previously won the league with Club Brugge.
Leko is certainly excited to face Mourinho, telling reporters at his pre-match press conference: "I think everyone in the club and I feel very grateful to play with a coach who together with (Pep) Guardiola and (Carlo) Ancelotti, is the best coach in the 21st century, one who changed football.
"First feeling is really grateful and one of the small dreams is coming true. I am just super happy, you play Tottenham and Jose Mourinho, you don't get to do that every five minutes. The most difficult thing in football is to win and Mourinho has won everywhere."
European pedigree: Antwerp were runners-up in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1993 when they lost to Parma. They have only qualified for Europe twice since 1995.
Form: Antwerp have won their last five games in all competitions and top the Belgium First Division by a point.
Player to watch: Spurs fans may recognise the man spearheading their opponents' attack - and he has found hitting the net in Belgium easier than he did during his time in the Premier League.
No player has netted more than four goals in the league this season with former Norwich City and Hull City forward Dieumerci Mbokani sitting at the top of the scoring charts.
How to follow
Follow Antwerp vs Spurs with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms, plus analysis and reaction after full time.
Opta stats
- This will be the very first game between these sides in European competition. Royal Antwerp have been drawn with English opposition on two previous occasions, both in the UEFA Cup; they beat Aston Villa home and away in 1975-76 but were defeated home and away by Newcastle in 1994-95.
- Spurs have never won away to Belgian opposition (D2 L3), losing on each of their last two visits, both in the UEFA Europa League: against Anderlecht in 2015-16 and KAA Gent in 2016-17.
- Royal Antwerp's Simen Kristiansen Juklerød created seven chances against Ludogerets, more than any other player managed on MD1 of this season's UEFA Europa League.
- Spurs have managed just one win from their last eight away games in the UEFA Europa League (D2 L5), defeating FK Qarabag 1-0 in the 2015-16 group stages.
- Including qualifiers, Spurs manager Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in his last 15 matches in the UEFA Europa League (W12 D3), winning all four games this season by an aggregate score of 15-4.
