2 hours ago
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Both recent Europa League winners, Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal, are aiming for Champions League glory as they clash in Tuesday’s league phase opener in North London. Tottenham, known as the Lilywhites, secured their return to Europe’s premier competition by lifting the Europa League trophy last season—ending a 17-year wait for major silverware. Villarreal, meanwhile, booked their Champions League spot with a fifth-place finish in La Liga.
Thomas Frank, who has taken over from Ange Postecoglou, will be leading Tottenham into Champions League action for the first time. Postecoglou’s reign ended on a high with Europa League success, but his tenure concluded after Spurs’ disappointing 17th-place finish in the Premier League. Under former Brentford manager Frank, Tottenham have shown early promise, displaying resilience and quality—aside from a single home defeat to Bournemouth.
Tottenham continued their strong start last Saturday, notching their third Premier League win and third clean sheet of the season with a 3-0 victory over West Ham United, courtesy of goals from Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Micky van de Ven. Although Spurs fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, they earned plaudits for their performance. Their recent European form is impressive: unbeaten in their last 20 UEFA home games and having scored in all but one of their last 16 continental fixtures—the only exception being a narrow 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in last season’s Europa League round of 16.
Villarreal, for their part, tasted Europa League glory in 2021 by defeating Manchester United on penalties to claim their first major trophy. That triumph was followed by a surprise run to the Champions League semi-finals the following season. However, the Yellow Submarine have not returned to the competition since, suffering last-16 exits in both the Conference League (2023) and Europa League (2024).
Spain’s strong UEFA coefficient ensured Villarreal’s fifth-place finish was enough for Champions League qualification. However, Marcelino’s side have hit a rough patch at a crucial time: after opening the 2025-26 La Liga campaign with wins over Real Oviedo and Girona, they have taken just one point from their last two matches—a draw with Celta Vigo and a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.
Historically, Villarreal have struggled against English clubs in the Champions League, failing to win any of their 14 meetings (eight losses, six draws). Tottenham, meanwhile, have also found Spanish opposition tough, with just two wins from 14 previous UEFA encounters with La Liga teams.
Tottenham vs Villarreal Betting Tips
- Tottenham to win and both teams to score - 11/4
- Under 3.5 goals - 4/9
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