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Champions League

Tottenham v Red Star Belgrade: free football tips, best bets and predictions

Champions League Group B

Tottenham Hotspur players look dejected following their 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League
Tottenham Hotspur players look dejected following their 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions LeagueCredit: Dan Istitene

Football tips, best bets and predictions for Tottenham v Red Star Belgrade in Champions League Group B.

Where to watch

BT Sport 3, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Red Star Belgrade +2 goal handicap
1pt 21-20 Betway
Back this tip with Coral

Team news

Tottenham
Christian Eriksen returns but Hugo Lloris remains sidelined. Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon lack match fitness.

Red Star Belgrade
Ben Nabouhane and Richmond Boakye have not travelled.

Match preview

Tottenham's Champions League final appearance in June feels like a lifetime ago and shell-shocked Spurs are difficult to trust as short-priced favourites against Red Star Belgrade.

Boss Mauricio Pochettino admits his side are lacking in confidence following the 7-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich on matchday two of the Champions League, a result which was followed by a 3-0 bashing at Brighton in the Premier League.

They were unable to justify their odds-on status in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Watford, when Tottenham were fortunate to pick up a point against the Premier League's bottom club.

Spurs have collected only 23 points from their last 21 Premier League games. They no longer press, Harry Kane has struggled for chances and Pochettino looks lost.

Tottenham's formation is changing often - they used a back three against Watford - and while calls have come for them to axe established stars it won't have been missed by Pochettino that a reserve side were knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Colchester.

The discussion of who is to blame remains a hotly-discussed topic around the Tottenham pubs with Pochettino, chairman Daniel Levy and the squad all on the receiving end of flak, which is likely to result in a smaller than normal crowd.

Red Star won't have any support at all, due to a Uefa ban, but if they can start in an organised fashion the pressure will only grow on a Tottenham side who are stuck on one point and in desperate need of a victory.

It's unlikely that the Belgrade outfit will have enough to win, but staying within a two-goal handicap is within their compass.

Red Star competed well away to Bayern Munich on matchday one before a couple of late goals gave the Germans a 3-0 success but they bounced back to defeat ten-man Olympiakos 3-1 at home.

Confidence won't be an issue for a side on a run of six straight victories and not used to losing domestically.

The Serbian champions have been defeated in two of their last 73 league matches and took points off Liverpool and Napoli at home in last season's Champions League campaign.

Vladan Milojevic's outfit, for whom former Chelsea man Marko Marin is a key playmaker, were outclassed on their travels, losing 6-1 at Paris St-Germain, 3-1 at Napoli and 4-0 at Liverpool.

At their best Tottenham would no doubt fancy their chances of landing a similarly easy victory. But Tottenham's best was some time ago and Pochettino would gladly take any kind of win.

Key stat

Tottenham have won only three of their last ten home matches.


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