Spurs vs Sevilla Betting tips

In a week in which all three remaining Premiership sides progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Martin Jol will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson by leading his side, Tottenham, into the last four of a European cup competition. The north London outfit face Sevilla in the second leg of their Uefa Cup quarter-final tie on Thursday evening and, in front of will be a capacity crowd at White Hart Lane, I fancy Spurs' chances of dumping last year's winners out of the competition, despite being a goal down from the first leg. Spurs fans have every reason to feel hard done by after the first leg. An early Robbie Keane goal was cancelled out by Freddie Kanoute penalty which was as spurious a refereeing decision as you'll ever see: goalkeeper Paul Robinson was adjudged to have tripped Claro Adriano Correia after 18 minutes. Robbo clearly got two hands on the ball and, with minimal contact, Correira fell to the ground as if he had been machine-gunned down. The dive - and a blatant dive it was, let us not be wishy-washy about this - was something which should be confined to a theatre stage, not seen on the field of play. Russian striker Alexander Kerzhakov than bagged a second for Sevilla. However, the crucial away goal Keane weighed in with after just 68 seconds, means that a 1-0 win for the home side would be enough to guarantee them a place in the semis. Should they make it, another Spanish side are likely to be lying in wait, Osasuna. Jol may be forced to risk Ledley King in this match, as Anthony Gardner and Tom Huddlestone are on the sidelines, while Ricardo Rocha is cup-tied. Bringing King back into the fray in a game of this magnitude will be risky following the defender's fourth-month absence, but King is a class act and, therefore, it may be a risk worth taking. Spurs' coach clearly means business, having rested Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov, Aaron Lennon and Didier Zokora during their creditable defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the weekend. I feel that the preservation of these key players will pay dividends against a Sevilla side who will be without No 1 keeper Andres Palop and striker Ernesto Chevanton for this return leg. Don't get me wrong, Sevilla are quality side. Just a point adrift of Barcelona at the summit of the La Liga table, they have yet to taste defeat away from home in this competition this season. But the Lilywhites have been in electrifying form in their backyard in recent months, and have netted a healthy 10 goals in their four Uefa Cup matches played at 'The Lane' since September. Indeed, Spurs are all about goals at White Hart Lane at the moment. They've accrued an impressive 23 in their last 10 in all competitions on home soil. I am sure they'll score in this game too. But, given how short they are at the back - Paul Stalteri is also doubtful - the biggest obstacle facing Spurs will be to keep the Spaniards' creative influences at bay. However, such is the collective confidence and determination within the ranks at Tottenham at present, I reckon they'll prove equal to the task, and make life extremely difficult for the visitors. As such, I'm tempted by Paddy Power's offer of 11/4 about Tottenham in the to win to nil market. Skybet go just 13/8 about this, so the Irish firm's price looks pretty generous. Verdict - 2pts Tottenham in the to win to nil market @ 11/4 (Paddy Power) #1 Betfair Bonus £25 Free Bet.#2 Ladbrokes £25 Free Bet.#3 Paddypower Bonus £20 Free Bet.#4 Bwin £20 Bonus.