UEFA Champions League Group A Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. FC Internazionale
The Tottenham Hotspur vs. FC Internazionale tie is the most anticipated one on match-day 4 of the UEFA Champions League.
Tottenham lost the match 4-3 when the two sides went face-to-face in Milan a fortnight ago. Harry Redknapp could not have envisaged a worse start for his team when the two teams kicked-off. 14 minutes into the game, Inter Milan
were already reigning supreme; the score-line reading 3-0 in favour of the home team. At the half-time whistle, Inter were 4 goals to the good; the English side was staring at certain defeat.
But, inspired by a brilliant second-half hat-trick by Gareth Bale, a heroic comeback from Tottenham was witnessed. Although the Welshman’s effort was not enough to earn the North-Londoners a point on the night, the Spurs will be
looking to make their home advantage count when the two teams meet on Tuesday night at White Hart Lane.
Both teams come into the match after registering contrasting results in their respective domestic leagues. Rafael Benitez’s team jumped to 2nd place in the Italian Serie A when they beat Genoa CFC at the weekend. On
the other hand, Spurs lost at Old Trafford 2-0 after a less than convincing performance on Saturday night in the English Premier League.
Rafael Benitez will be visiting White Hart Lane for the first time since his departure from Anfield in summer this year. While his last 3 visits to the North-London club have resulted in defeats, the former Liverpool manager will
be looking for a win to confirm his side’s progress into the last 16.
The Nerazzurri’s last visit to the English capital was fruitful, when they beat Chelsea to progress into the quarter-finals. However, the men from San Siro haven’t won away from home in this season’s Champions League. Their opposition
for the night, the Spurs, have won both their home matches in the competition while netting in 8 goals in the process.
Battle of the Dutchmen: Wesley Sneijder vs. Rafael van der Vaart
Dutch midfield-magicians Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart will be on the opposite sides this time when they take the field.
Ballon D’Or favourite Sneijder occupies a playmaking role in Benitez’s midfield setup and controls the game for Inter, whereas in-form Van der Vaart plays as the 10th man for Spurs and can sometimes act as the 2nd striker.
The Dutch compatriots are exquisite strikers of the ball and can hit the target from any given range.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Probable Starting 11: Heurelho Gomes, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, William Gallas, Younes Kaboul, Alan Hutton, Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric, Aaron
Lennon, Peter Crouch.
Inter Milan’s Probable Starting 11: Julio Cesar, Javier Zanetti, Lucio, Maicon, Cristian Chivu, Walter Samuel, Pilippe Coutinho, Wesley Sneijder, Dejan Stankovic, Jonathan Biabiany, Samuel Eto’o.
Match Prediction: It was a goal-fest the last time these two teams met, and a high scoring match is expected this time as well. Given the attacking options in their arsenals, both teams will hit the net. Final
score: 2-2.
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