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Spurs qualified for Europe’s most prestigious competition by virtue of last season’s Europa League triumph, which came following a narrow victory over Manchester United at the San Mamés. It’s the first time the club has competed in the Champions League since the 2022/23 campaign, when they were eliminated by Italian giants AC Milan at the Round of 16 stage.
Thomas Frank has made an encouraging start to his tenure, particularly when you consider his newly-inherited team’s shocking domestic form last term. Ahead of Saturday’s meeting with West Ham, the Lilywhites picked up six points from their opening three matches. A comfortable 3-0 triumph over Burnley on home soil was followed by a perfect away performance at the Etihad Stadium, although last weekend’s defeat to Bournemouth will have undoubtedly had a sobering impact.
Villarreal are also in somewhat buoyant spirits, having also registered two victories in their first three La Liga outings. After sweeping aside newly-promoted Real Oviedo and Catalan outfit Girona at the Estadio de la Cerámica, they were forced to settle for a point against Celta Vigo following Borja Iglesias’s injury-time equalizer. The Yellow Submarine have also endured a short hiatus from the Champions League, last appearing in the competition over three years ago. On that occasion, they were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual runners-up Liverpool after losing both legs of the tie.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Villarreal: Key information
Date: Tuesday 16th September
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels/Live stream: Amazon Prime
Odds: Tottenham Hotspur: 8/11, Draw: 14/5, Villarreal: 7/2 (bet365)
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Villarreal team news
As both managers prioritise continuity over squad rotation, it’s fairly easy to predict the rough configuration of Tuesday’s starting line-ups. Although Thomas Frank doesn’t burden the extensive injury list his predecessor was plagued by throughout much of last season, the former Brentford boss must contend with the absence of several prized assets.
Marcelino García Toral has a handful of new arrivals at his disposal, but may be reluctant to throw them into such a high-stakes encounter.
Tottenham Hotspur team news
Unless he decides to tweak his tactical approach for Europe, expect Frank to deploy the same 4-3-3 formation he’s consistently used in the initial weeks of the season.
The same back five was chosen in each of Spurs’ opening three fixtures, with Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks and a defensive quartet of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Djed Spence. Radu Drăgușin remains out with the ACL injury he sustained in February, although it’s unlikely he would have broken up the central defensive partnership of Romero and van de Ven had he been fit. James Maddison suffered a similar fate to his Romanian teammate during last month’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament after attempting to challenge Anthony Elanga. The creative midfielder won’t see action until at least next Spring.
It’s a similar story at the top end of the pitch, as Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, and Brennan Johnson appear set to occupy the three forward positions once again. Although Dominic Solanke’s niggling ankle issue resulted in him missing Spurs’ meeting with Bournemouth, it seems Richarlison is currently Frank’s first-choice striker. The industrious Brazilian has netted two goals in his three starts so far, while Solanke only featured as a late substitute against Burnley and Manchester City.
Both Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma were omitted from Spurs’ initial Champions League squad due to ongoing injury concerns, with no firm recovery timeline provided for either player as of yet.
Tottenham Hotspur predicted line-up vs. Villarreal (4-3-3)
Coach: Thomas Frank
Guglielmo Vicario (GK), Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence, Rodrigo Bentancur, João Palhinha, Pape Matar Sarr, Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson
Villarreal team news
Marcelino García Toral hasn’t tinkered too much with his starting line-up during the season’s opening exchanges, trusting a core group of players to deliver his instructions.
The Spanish tactician has selected the same goalkeeper, backline, and central midfield duo for Villarreal’s first three La Liga fixtures, while Cameroonian marksman Etta Eyong has invariably been called upon to help lead the line. However, he’s also been forced to make several adjustments amidst a flurry of activity in recent weeks.
The departure of Spanish international winger Yeremy Pino to Crystal Palace left a hole on Villarreal’s left-hand flank, giving Alberto Moleiro an opportunity to impress. Club captain Gerard Moreno has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, resulting in Nicolas Pépé operating as a makeshift centre-forward. Nevertheless, the former Arsenal attacker has performed exceptionally well since adopting his new role, netting the opening goal against Girona and Celta Vigo.
Pépé will join former Gunners teammate Thomas Partey in receiving a frosty reception at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Ghanian midfielder set to appear in court less than 24 hours before kick-off. It’ll also be interesting to hear the natives’ reaction should on-loan striker Manor Solomon feature, who is eligible to face his parent club in accordance with UEFA rules. Argentinian centre-back Juan Foyth endured a difficult three-year spell at Spurs, making just 32 appearances across all competitions during his time in North London.
Villarreal predicted line-up vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2)
Coach: Marcelino García Toral
Luiz Júnior (GK), Santiago Mouriño, Juan Foyth, Rafa Marín, Sergi Cardona, Tajon Buchanan, Santi Comesaña, Pape Gueye,
Alberto Moleiro, Nicolas Pépé, Etta Eyong
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Since their lucrative three-year broadcasting deal with UEFA commenced at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, Amazon have been able to show 17 ‘first-pick’ Tuesday night Champions League fixtures. The e-commerce giant believes Tottenham’s clash with Villarreal is the marquee fixture for UK audiences on matchday one, and has therefore selected it for coverage.
The contest is available to stream live on the Amazon Prime platform, with viewers able to pause and rewind throughout. A full match replay is available after the final whistle.
Head-to-Head record
Tuesday’s opponents have only met on one previous occasion, facing each other in a pre-season friendly in July 2010. Giuseppe Rossi grabbed the headlines in a one-sided contest, recording a hat-trick as Villarreal ran out 4-1 winners at White Hart Lane.
Spurs' last competitive duel with a Spanish outfit came during the 2018/19 Champions League campaign, having been drawn into the same group as Barcelona. After losing 4-2 at Wembley, Mauricio Pochettino’s men secured a hard-earned point in Catalonia to progress to the knockout stages. They were eventually beaten by Premier League rivals Liverpool in the final, which took place at Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.
Both clubs have enjoyed immense success in Europe’s secondary competition. Spurs lifted the UEFA Cup on two occasions prior to last summer’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Bilbao showpiece, while Villarreal defeated the Red Devils in a nerve-shredding penalty shootout to clinch a maiden Europa League title in 2021. The Yellow Submarine also secured continental silverware in 2003 and 2004, albeit in the now-defunct Intertoto Cup.
Odds for Tottenham Hotspur vs. Villarreal
The reigning Europa League champions are expected to triumph on Tuesday evening, although the bookmakers haven’t completely discounted Villarreal’s chances. Punters will be tempted by bet365’s offer of 7/2 odds on an away victory, particularly given Spurs’ shaky home form last term.
Moneyline odds
Tottenham Hotspur: 8/11 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.