Vitesse vs. Tottenham Hotspur Conference League Preview: Another quick Thursday trip in Europe

Tottenham Hotspur has gotten back on track after a rough stretch, winning three straight matches across all competitions. This has put the club level on points for fourth in the Premier League and has the team in solid position in the Europa Conference League, which continues on Thursday in the Netherlands.

Spurs travel to Arnhem to take on Vitesse, who currently sits third in Group G. Last matchday, the Dutch side fell 1-2 to Rennes at home after getting past Mura to open the Group Stage. Vitesse is sixth in the Eredivisie with a 3-1-3 record this season, including a win over Feyenoord but a 5-0 loss against Ajax.

This is a match that Tottenham should be able to take despite being on the road. Two of the final three fixtures will be at home — with just Mura away — so heading into the back half of the round with seven points would be perfect. A draw on Thursday is not the end of the world, but it would put a little pressure on the upcoming matches.

Vitesse (3rd, 3 pts) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (t-1st, 4 pts)

Date: Thursday, October 21
Time: 12:45 pm ET, 5:45 pm UK
Location: GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands
TV: Paramount+ (USA), BT Sport 1 (UK)

Nuno Espirito Santo has seemingly found his best XI and let that lineup play the entire 90 minutes against Newcastle. With a trip to the London Stadium coming up on Sunday, there will need to be a lot of rotation against Vitesse, and the manager is basically swapping out every single player. There is plenty of firepower on the Spurs bench, but who knows how long of a leash Thursday’s starters will get.

Just like how Nuno left his best players in for the entire Newcastle match, he has shown a willingness to bring in players like Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son during these midweek fixtures if there is a need. However, that will not be the case this time with everyone left at home, and this is the right call; three points is nice, but at some point these players will need some rest as well.

Three themes

1. Two names that will likely feature against Vitesse are Giovanni Lo Celso and Dele Alli, extremely capable players who just do not seem to fit in the team’s best lineup right now. Arguments can certainly be made for Lo Celso in particular, and some strong European performances should be enough to get him some Premier League starts as the season progresses.
2. Another player who should take the pitch on Thursday is Davinson Sanchez, who looks to be the odd man out of the centerback spots with Cristian Romero solidifying his place among the starting XI. Both Sanchez and Eric Dier have arguments to start next to the big summer signing, but he will have to fight for the role during midweek for now.
3. Spurs have plenty of experience against Dutch sides, including a pair of rivals in the 2018/19 Champions League. After taking four points from PSV in the Group Stage, Tottenham would return to the Netherlands to face Ajax in the semifinal, which exactly zero people reading this post have forgotten.