Tottenham vs Antwerp prediction: How will Europa League fixture play out tonight?

Spurs will hope to claim top spot to secure an easier route through the knock-out stages of the tournament

Harry Kane for Spurs (Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur end their Europa League group stage with a home game against Royal Antwerp on Thursday night.

After some mixed midweek performances in Europe this season, Spurs still need a victory to secure themselves first place in the group, with their Belgian opponents currently two points ahead.

Jose Mourinho’s side have been much-improved this year overall, but he hasn’t hesitated to criticise below-par performances in this competition from squad players trying to push their way into the line-up on a more regular basis.

READ MORE: Frank Lampard, Jose Mourinho and why the transformative power of the manager has never been higher

While Spurs triumphed in the north London derby this past weekend, Antwerp lost a big game of their own, going down 4-2 to league leaders Genk.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

When is the match?

The game kicks off at 8pm GMT on Thursday 9 December.

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with coverage starting at 8 pm following coverage of Dundalk vs Arsenal. Subscribers can also stream the match via the BT Sport website or app. Alternatively there will be a live stream on Independent Football here.

What is the team news?

Tottenham will be without Serge Aurier with a slight injury, while Mourinho has confirmed midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be rested.

Tanguy Ndombele will be back for the Europa League clash after he returned to training on Wednesday.

Mourinho seems certain to field what is now effectively a regular European XI, meaning returns to the side for Gareth Bale, Lucas Moura, Vinicius Junior and Dele Alli.

Kane celebrates scoring against Arsenal (Getty)

Antwerp will be without Matheus and Sander Coopman, who are injured and have not made the trip to London.

They will need a point to finish top so Leko will name his strongest possible side, which should be spearheaded by Lior Refaelov, who has three goals in five Group J matches.

Predicted line ups

Tottenham: Hart, Doherty, Sanchez, Tanganga, Davies, Lo Celso, Winks, Bale, Alli, Lucas, Vinicius.

Antwerp: Butez, Seck, Gelin, De Laet, Miyoshi, Gerkens, Haroun, Hongla, Juklerod, Rafaelov, Benavente.

Odds

Tottenham – 9/25

Draw – 4/1

Antwerp – 25/4

Prediction

Mourinho’s squad players have one final chance to prove their worth for more regular inclusion - once it gets to the knock-out stages and a chance of a trophy, the boss could keep his line-up more consistent. A home win looks the most probable outcome. Spurs 2-1 Royal Antwerp

This weekend get a £10 free bet with Betfair, when you bet £10 on a Same Game Multi on the Premier League. Terms: Min £10 Same Game Multi bet on any EPL match this Fri - Sun. Free bet valid for 72 hours, awarded at bet settlement. Excludes cashed out bets. T&Cs apply.