At the moment information
2025-01-23 17:07:00
Key occasions
I do know what you’re pondering: is the Morten Krogh who’s refereeing this recreation associated to the Morten Krogh who reached the quarter-finals within the epee on the 1972 Olympics and received 5 nationwide fencing championships in his native Norway? And maybe additionally to the Trine Krogh who competed within the pool on the identical Olympics, within the 200m and 400m medley? And, by extension, to her uncle, the Lars Krogh who received 15 Norwegian championship titles in freestyle swimming in addition to 14 in water polo earlier than turning into president of the Norwegian Swimming Affiliation?
And the reply is, in all probability not. He’s not even Norwegian.
The groups!
Group information is in, and listed here are the beginning line-ups:
Hoffenheim: Baumann, Kaderabek, Akpoguma, N’Soki, Jurasek, Stach, Becker, Hlozek, Bischof, Kramaric, Moerstedt. Subs: Luca Philipp, Hranac, Gendrey, Micheler, Kalambayi, Chaves, Mokwa, Behrens, Erlein, Tim Philipp, Djuric.
Tottenham Hotspur: Austin, Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Grey, Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son. Subs: Forster, Whiteman, Lankshear, Moore, Ajayi, Olusesi, Hardy, Cassanova.
Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark).
Hey world!
At this second, when they’re wrecked by self-doubt and stink of the foul funk of failure, the footballing fates have handed Spurs the valuable reward of encouraging fixtures. Positive, they performed the primary of these, towards an Everton crew that had scored one purpose of their earlier six league video games, on Sunday and managed to make their opponents seem like the 1970 Brazil aspect, concede three and lose, however they’ve an opportunity to make up for it (form of) tonight, and one other towards Leicester this weekend. Their season can nonetheless come good (or, not less than, higher).
Hoffenheim, fifteenth within the Bundesliga, three factors above Sixteenth-placed Heidenheim and the specter of a relegation play-off, have misplaced six and received simply one in every of their final 10 video games in all competitions, that solitary victory coming towards Seventeenth-placed Holstein Kiel on Saturday. “I play soccer as a result of I wish to win, and once you don’t win for thus lengthy, it actually will get you down,” stated the defender Kevin Akpoguma. “Within the altering room after the sport, you possibly can really feel {that a} weight had been lifted. After a win, the whole lot is simply nicer. A win at all times energises you, that’s been noticeable prior to now few days too. However we are able to’t ease off now, we have to stick with it. It’s vital that all of us develop a starvation for it, in order that we have now this sense rather more typically.”
Of their very own final 10 video games Spurs have received three and misplaced a mere 5. On type, that is no contest. And but. One downside is that Spurs have solely 13 first-team gamers to select from, with Pape Sarr added to the harm listing after the Everton recreation. This makes Ange Postecoglou’s job simpler, as a result of the crew kind of picks itself, and likewise tougher, as a result of it’s extra more likely to be garbage and there’s much less he can do about it whether it is.
“The truth is we don’t have plenty of alternative,” the Australian growled. “We’ve no different choices, that’s the essential premise of it. We’ve in all probability acquired 13 first-team gamers who’ve travelled. We don’t have many choices, aside from throwing untried children in there however I don’t wish to do this to them. You actually need a robust squad of gamers and hold them wholesome to deal with enjoying in Europe should you do properly within the cup competitions like we have now, as a result of it’s not manageable once you’ve acquired three video games every week for the size of time we have now.”
So right here we’re. Two determined groups. One recreation. Tottenham, in ninth place and outdoors the automated progress spots solely on purpose distinction, will transfer into the highest eight in the event that they win and get to really feel first rate for a bit. Hoffenheim, in twenty seventh, certainly have to win not less than one and lose neither of their final two Europa League fixtures if they’re to have any hope even of a playoff place. It’s, in its barely depressing means, an enormous, doubtlessly season-shaping recreation. Welcome!
