BASEL
Sommer
Steinhofer, Voser, Dragovic, Schar
Salah, Cabral, F Frei, Stocker
Strellar, A Frei
TOTTENHAM
Friedel
Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto
Sigurdsson, Parker, Dembele, Holtby, Dempsey
Adebayor
After being punished for their complacency at White Hart Lane, Tottenham are in need of a stellar showing to seal victory on their travels for the first time in six outings.
And with William Gallas (calf), Aaron Lennon (knee) and talisman Gareth Bale (ankle) all becoming fresh additions to the Spurs treatment table after last week’s encounter, Andre Villas-Boas will be forced into a number of changes to the starting line-up.
With Jermaine Defoe aggravating an ongoing pelvic injury, Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to lead the line on Thursday, whilst Kyle Naughton is expected to make way for Kyle Walker as the bustling right-back returns from suspension.
Gylfi Sigurdsson is likely to be handed a start after his late equaliser against Everton, alongside Michael Dawson who is expected to fill in for the injured Gallas and Brad Friedel will once again come in for Hugo Lloris.
Basel were little short of a revelation in the first leg, with Marco Strellar, Valentin Stocker and Mohamad Salah all asking a number of questions of the Tottenham rearguard.
The tricky trio are all expected to start Thursday’s clash and may be joined by the experienced Alexander Frei if coach Murat Yakin elects to field two strikers on home turf.
Park Joo-Ho and Marcelo Diaz are both back in contention after returning from suspension, whilst the now-fit Cabral could claim a place in the starting eleven after his second half-cameo at White Hart Lane.
Philipp Degen has also recovered from injury, but is unlikely to displace Mohamed Salah in the starting eleven after the Egyptian’s sterling performance in the first leg.
DID YOU KNOW?
Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel is the oldest player left in this year’s competition and, at 41, is older than both Andre Villas-Boas and Basel coach Murat Yakin.
Jan Vertonghen has appeared in all 1020 minutes of Tottenham’s Europa League campaign.
Spurs and Rubin Kazan are the only two survivors from the seven clubs granted automatic entry to the Europa League at the group stage.
Tottenham have not won a game in any competition without the injured Gareth Bale scoring since New Years Day.
Basel have tasted defeat just once since November, when they lost 1-0 away to Zenit St Petersburg in the last-16 of the Europa League.
The Swiss champions have won their last four home Europa League games without conceding a single goal.
Basel have picked up 23 yellow cards and three red cards in this year’s competition, more so than any other side.
Basel and Tottenham are 11/2 to draw 1-1 with Coral.
Prediction
Despite being the heavy favourites to progress going into the first leg, the pendulum of expectation has most certainly swung in favour of the Swiss champions for the second. And despite no longer having the advantage of being a relatively unknown quantity to Villas-Boas' men, Basel have an impressive home record to fall back on at a ground that has witnessed victories against Bayern Munich and Manchester United within the last 12 months.
With Spurs battling to secure their main priority of achieving a top-four finish after some disappointing Premier League results, their depleted squad travel to St Jakob-Park as the favourites to come away empty-handed.
Editor's Prediction
Basel 1-1 Tottenham
