Spurs Primed for Knockout Stages

Tottenham Hotspur can progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a win against Werder Bremen at White Hart Lane this Wednesday evening.

After being drawn in one of the toughest Champions League groups Spurs have been nothing short of brilliant in their inaugural season in the competition proper. A 3-1 win over Inter Milan at The Lane three weeks ago means that they now only need to win one of their final two Group A matches in order to ensure progression to the last 16.

Harry Redknapp’s men also go into this fixture high on confidence having beaten their north London rivals 3-2 on Saturday lunchtime. A result which led the manager to state that he believes his side can win the Premier League this season.

Whilst Spurs are living up to preseason expectations their midweek opponents are struggling to do the same in Germany. Werder Bremen have just 15 points from 13 games in the German Bundesliga and have lost 6-0 and 4-0 in their last two away games.

Had the bookmakers priced up this game prior to a ball being kicked this season then I suspect the odds would have been significantly different. Tottenham are just 1/2 with the majority of online firms with Bremen at 11/2 and a share of the spoils available to back at 7/2.

The night’s other big game is an all-British affair between Manchester United and Glasgow Rangers. The Scottish champions produced a resolute and hardworking performance when the two teams met at Old Trafford earlier this season, and they got their just rewards when the game finished goalless.

Results since then, however, mean that they may have to be a bit more adventurous this time around. Rangers need to win both of their remaining games, or at the least, win one and draw one and hope that other results go their way. United, on the other hand, need just one point to guarantee progression to the knockout stages.

The Red Devils are available to back at a shade of odds on with the majority of online bookmakers whilst Rangers are 4/1 and the draw that United need is 5/2.

For Spurs and United most of the hard work has been done prior to this week’s games and they now just need to finish off the job, Rangers though have it all to do and a third place finish, that would see them enter the Europa League, may be their best hope.