Pochettino Prioritises Premier League

There are a few things to take into consideration that could swing the game in any direction. The first is the prestige of the match. The second is the less than optimal run of form of both teams as of late. The third are the squad omissions that both sides take into the fixture.

Inter

Inter coach Luciano Spalletti is no stranger to the Champions League and in his pre-match presser on Monday he called the competition the ‘Disneyland of Football. But with the group that his side have drawn, comprising of Barcelona, Spurs and PSV Eindhoven he must be expecting a gut wrenching rollercoaster ride ahead.

The Italians have the most to prove when it comes to this fixture. They’ve spent big over recent years and have failed to deliver, with this single qualification for Champions League their only major achievement just yet.

Their main men will have to be on form to take points against Spurs

Not to mention that they’ve had a disappointing run of form since the Serie A season kicked off, winning one, drawing two and losing two, most recently away to recently promoted Parma at the weekend.

Inter had the best chances on the weekend, peppering Parma’s goal with an incredible 28 shots, maintaining 73% match possession. So end product is a problem, none more exemplified than in star frontman Mauro Icardi. At Inter they say that “if a goal was a drop of blood in the ocean then Icardi would sniff it out”, but that definitely wasn’t the case at the weekend.

Their main men, striker Icardi, winger Perisic and playmaker Nainggolan will have to be on form if they’re to take the points against Spurs.

This is the game the fans have been anticipating for some time after missing out on Champions League football for six seasons, and they’ll expect nothing but a win on home soil. But it remains to be seen if Spalletti will play it safe with key defenders Vrsaljko and D’Ambrosio likely to miss the match.

Spurs

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino surprised everyone after announcing his decision to leave key defenders Alderweireld and Trippier in London, saying that it was a ‘technical decision’. When asked if he meant ‘tactical’ he replied no, only stating that he has never sought to punish players after losing games, namely at home against Liverpool at the weekend.

Pochettino has been forced to reconsider his approach to the Champions League

This decision is surprising as Spurs are also missing key playmaker Dele Alli to a hamstring problem, and their main man between the sticks Hugo Lloris. His understudy Vorm looked shaky at times against Liverpool. This could be the chance for Inter to strike.

After two consecutive defeats against Watford and Liverpool, Pochettino has obviously been forced to reconsider his approach to the Champions League. By dropping Trippier and Alderweireld he must be looking to prioritise their domestic campaign for the time being.

Spurs won't want to leave empty handed

These factors could well affect the game. Spurs are undoubtedly the more experienced side, with back to back Champions League campaigns behind them and impressive victories against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund last season.

Pochettino has spoken of needing to get a ‘positive’ result from the San Siro whatever that means, but it still looks like he’s at least partially throwing caution to the wind.

Still, Spurs know how to rise to challenge in Europe and they have an impressive forward line that will seek to snatch a victory on Italian soil and bag an important three points early on.

Match Tips

Considering the variety of factors it’s tough to really know what the tactical philosophy lying behind Spalletti and Pochettino is here. Spurs have the experience and the quality to go to Italy and get something out of it against an Inter side that still looks unsure of itself. Pochettino won’t want to leave empty handed with tough fixtures in Europe after this.

I think Spurs will try to steal a win but there’s a chance it could end in a stalemate, depending on tactical considerations with Spurs having one eye on the Premier League. Double chance is an option here but the value in the odds for a Spurs draw no bet with Unibet are more lucrative. That’s why I’m going with odds of 1/1 (2.0) with Unibet.

Bet Spurs draw no bet on Unibet