Tottenham-Marseille is a match valid for the first day of the group stage of the Champions League and is played on Wednesday at 9:00 pm
TOTTENHAM – MARSEILLE
Antonio Conte rediscovers the Champions League, a competition in which – as a coach – he never managed to achieve great satisfaction. In his various experiences on the benches of Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan, the Salento coach has always encountered great difficulties in getting through the group stage. And when he did, he never got too far.
NIn 2020 he came close to a European triumph with the Nerazzurri, losing in the final to Sevilla, but it was «only» the Europa League. He is trying again at the helm of Tottenham, a club he took in the running last fall. For Spurs it is a welcome return to the top international event after a few years of purgatory. They qualified at the end of a thrilling head-to-head with arch-rivals Arsenal, mocked at the very last gasp last spring. A feat that, until a few months earlier, perhaps not even the most optimistic fan would have been able to predict. And which confirms the incredible impact-especially from the mentality point of view-of the Italian coach on a group that seemed unable to return to the levels of the Pochettino management. Even fate has been kind to the Londoners: despite starting in the second tier, they are the favorites in Group D, which also consists of Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille and Sporting CP. Spurs are off to a strong start in the Premier League: the only ones along with defending champions Manchester City who are still undefeated, they have so far totaled four wins and two draws, leaving no one a chance in their home games.
A roster that for now is worth second place behind leading Arsenal. In the Champions League, Conte will make his debut against Igor Tudor’s Marseille, his old teammate in his Juventus days. The former Verona coach could not have started his adventure in France in a better way. After six rounds of Ligue 1 Payet and his teammates are at the top of the standings arm in arm with the battleship Psg. The haul is 16 points, the result of five wins and one draw. In the last three matches Marseille has always kept its goal unbeaten.
Tudor
The Prediction
Tottenham will try to set the record straight right away against one of the most fearsome and potentially tough opponents in the round. Spurs are doing well in the league, in front of their own public they have an extra gear and should not miss the appointment with victory. At the same time, we hypothesize a solid and shrewd performance by Marseille, which seems to have already assimilated the ideas of its new coach. It would not be a surprise if the total goals at the end were less than four. The first half of the game could end in a draw.
The probable lineups of Tottenham-Marseille
- TOTTENHAM (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Emerson Royal, Højbjerg, Bentancur, Perišić; Kulusevski, Son, Kane.
- MARSEILLE (3-4-3): Pau López; Mbemba, Bailly, Gigot; Clauss, Rongier, Gerson, Nuno Tavares; Ünder, Suárez, Payet.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
