Tottenham v Marseille predictions: Smart Spurs have the edge

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Tottenham v Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 3, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Tottenham to win & under 3.5 goals
1pt 5-4 Betfair

Team news

Tottenham
Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil remain sidelined.

Marseille
Samuel Gigot should be fit but skipper Dimitri Payet is a doubt and forward Alexis Sanchez is suspended.

Preview

Tottenham's two-and-a-half year absence from the Champions League is over although their return to Europe's top table might not produce the routine win their fans would be hoping for.

French highflyers Marseille are Spurs' first Group D opponents and the revived Ligue 1 outfit have begun their season every bit as impressively as Tottenham have started theirs.

The layers are right behind Antonio Conte's men to make it seven straight home wins, and home advantage and a winning mentality certainly make them hard to resist.

But this could well be closer than many envisage and Igor Tudor's visitors, who pose a major threat on the counter, are capable of running Spurs close. Take the home side to win a low-scoring contest.

Conte will have a few selection issues to ponder less than three days before Tottenham visit Manchester City in the Premier League but they should start the game at full strength.

Marseille have one or two significant absentees, notably ex-Arsenal frontman Alexis Sanchez – one of four former Gunners on OM's books – while Dimitri Payet is a major doubt although he is not exactly a Tudor favourite anyway.

They have started the season with five wins and a draw from six Ligue 1 matches but they haven't yet played a top-seven side. Their last three wins have all been to nil so their back five, boosted by the return of Samuel Gigot alongside Premier League old boys Chancel Mbemba and Eric Bailly, is more than competent. Expect Marseille to make it competitive but back Tottenham to nick it.

Key stat

Tottenham have won nine of their last ten home games.

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