Tottenham Hotspur v Lyon
UEFA Europa League White Hart Lane, London
Thursday 14 February, 2013 20:05 GMT

Tottenham have been handed a difficult tie against French giants Lyon after failing to win their group ahead of Lazio. Lyon have home advantage in the second leg so will be looking to absorb the pressure throughout this tie and take an away goal back home for the second leg. Tottenham Hotspur Preview Tottenham are one of the form sides in the Premier League and the current holders of fourth place. They have lost only two matches at home in the league all season, taking points from seven wins and four draws. They have conceded only 13 goals at home which is fewer than Manchester United. While Tottenham aren't outright football betting favourites - you can check the latest match odds here, they have a decent chance of winning the tie in the first leg with their high pressing game and often irresistible movement up front, even without any strikers.


Injuries and Suspensions

Younes Kaboul and Sandro will definitely not feature in this match as both are carrying long term problems. Jermain Defoe is unlikely to play as he recovers from an ankle problem that he picked up during the recent match away at West Brom. Otherwise Spurs are fully fit. Spurs are odds on at 4/5 to win this match. Lyon Preview Lyon are sat second behind PSG in Ligue 1 thanks to five wins, three draws and two defeats on the road. They get the job done despite not having an impressive record of 15 goals scored and 13 conceded which is not even close to that of the league leaders. Lyon won their Europa League group by seven points.


Injuries and Suspensions

Lyon are sweating over the fitness of Bakary Kone and Jimmy Briand but otherwise they have a fully fit squad of players to choose from. Bafetimbi Gomis is set to start up front, giving him the chance to effectively show off in a country where several players are interested in him. If you think a French upset is possible then you can get odds of 10/3. Tottenham Hotspur v Lyon Statistics Spurs didn’t lose a single game during the group stage despite finishing second. They secured three wins and drew all of their other matches to qualify. They conceded just four goals throughout their group games. Lyon dropped points in only one game which importantly for Spurs, came away from home. They conceded six goals in three away games but managed to score eight to leave them with a goal difference of plus two.


Head to Head: Tottenham hosted Lyon on just the single occasion in the past, which was the 1967/1968 Cup Winners Cup. The first leg at White Hart Lane ended 4-3 before Lyon won the second leg 1-0 and went through on away goals. Recent Form Spurs have been perfect through February with wins in both of their games so far. This eradicates the memory of a poor run at the back end of January that saw them draw three games and lose one. Lyon by contrast are not in great form having suffered back-to-back defeats so far this month. They were much better in the league through January with two wins and a draw and they won their last Europa League match last December. Tottenham Hotspur v Lyon Prediction It’s difficult to see anything other than a home win in this match. Spurs are not badly hampered by injuries and they have several in form players who can take this tie away from Lyon quickly.


Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Lyon. You can get odds of 9/1 from the bookmakers on spurs winning 2-0.