Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal Predictions

• Tottenham’s three victories this season have all been to nil
• Spurs are unbeaten in their last 20 home matches in European competition
• Villarreal have never beaten English opposition in the Champions League (D6, L8)

Spurs defence improving under Frank

Tottenham have made a strong start to life under Thomas Frank, winning three of their four Premier League matches and all of those victories have been accompanied by a clean-sheet.

Frank has certainly made Spurs more defensively sound since succeeding Ange Postecoglou in the dugout and he will be relishing his first chance to manage in the Champions League.

Spurs are back at Europe’s top table for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign but they will fancy their chances of opening the league phase with a victory given they are unbeaten in their last 20 home matches in European competition.

Villarreal, by contrast, have never beaten English opposition in the Champions League, drawing six and losing eight of their 14 previous such meetings, and the Yellow Submarine will head into this one off the back of two disappointing results.

Yellow Submarine can be sunk on the road

Marcelino’s visitors started the season in good form, swatting aside Oviedo and Girona in La Liga, but both those matches were played at home and they have since taken just a point from away trips to Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.

The Yellow Submarine also scored just one goal from those two away trips and after suffering a 2-0 loss at Atleti at the weekend, they could be on the receiving end of a repeat of that scoreline when they head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The omens are certainly not good for Villarreal, who have lost their last seven games against Premier League teams in Europe’s premier club competition, a run that dates back to the 2008-09 campaign (1-1 vs Arsenal).

Johnson to return to starting XI with a bang

Spurs are likely to make changes to their starting XI from the team that won 3-0 at West Ham on Saturday, with Brennan Johnson among the players that are likely to come back in.

Johnson was Spurs’ top scorer in all competitions last season, netting 18 times, including the only goal in the all-important Europa League final success against Manchester United, the result that sealed their place in this competition.

With two goals in four Premier League appearances this term, the Wales international remains a real goal threat, and he could well get his name on the scoresheet on Tuesday in north London.