Stoke and Tottenham round off English interest in the Europa League on Thursday night with seemingly winnable home clashes against Besiktas and Shamrock Rovers. Having both drawn their opening group matches the two Premier League teams will feel a win is a must if they are to make it out of their respective groups.
Stoke v Besiktas
The Potters made a good start to their European adventure with a respectable 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kiev in the Ukraine two weeks ago.
Manager Tony Pulis felt his side could have won that game having conceded a last-minute equaliser and will see the visit of Turkish giants Besiktas as a great chance to announce themselves on the European stage.
Stoke put in a good performance against Manchester United at the weekend, halting the champions’ run of victories with a 1-1 draw at raucous Britannia Stadium.
Stoke will need their supporters to be right behind them again for the visit of the 13-time Turkish champions, who have made a good start to the season with three wins out of four domestically.
Carlos Carvalhal’s side also enjoyed a fantastic start to their Europa League campaign with a 5-1 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC on matchday one.
Their Portuguese coach has recruited heavily from his home country to strengthen Besiktas, with the likes of Ricardo Quaresma, Simao and Hugo Almedia all likely to be involved, while former Real Madrid and Spain star Guti could also get a run out.
Stoke’s team might not have as many star names but, as they proved at the weekend, their work ethic can close the gap in quality.
Besiktas might have won on two of their five trips to England but this is the night a lot of Stoke fans have been waiting for and they should spur Pulis’ men on to victory.
Match Bet – Stoke to win @ 4/5 and under 2.5 goals @ 4/6.
Tottenham v Shamrock Rovers
While Stoke welcome one of Europe’s more well-known sides Tottenham face a different prospect entirely when they play host to Irish Premier League outfit Shamrock Rovers.
The visitors to White Hart Lane will certainly need a huge slice of luck to avoid anything but a drubbing here, even with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admitting he will rest the majority of his first-team squad.
The semi-professional Irish outfit qualified for the Europa League thanks to a startling win over Partizan Belgrade but have since been brought back down to earth after a 3-0 home defeat to Rubin Kazan on matchday one.
Rovers are 20/1 to win at Tottenham, a price which seems too short when you take everything into consideration.
Spurs seem to have hit their stride after a poor start to the season and even with the regulars watching from the stands they should dismantle Shamrock Rovers without breaking a sweat.
Tottenham have, unsurprisingly, never lost to an Irish team and haven’t even conceded a goal, a record which won’t change on Thursday night.
Match Bet – Tottenham to win 4-0 @ 40/1.
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