Tottenham have been superb in the Champions League this season, drawing away at Werder Bremen in their first game in the group stage of the competition for decades, before seeing off FC Twente 4-1. They’ve since had two matches of the highest calibre - matches you don’t often see in the group stage - against Inter, with Redknapp’s men unable to even grab a point despite Gareth Bale’s hat-trick at the San Siro on matchday three. Bale then tormented the Inter defence again, starring in a memorable 3-1 win over the European champions at White Hart Lane.
While Spurs top the group and can secure qualification to the last 16 with a victory on Wednesday night, Werder Bremen are looking to keep their hopes of staying in the competition alive. A loss for the German side would see them have to beat Inter on matchday six to stand any chance of even reaching the Europa League, but if FC Twente beat Inter, their chances of staying in Europe will be over altogether.
Final Straw For Schaaf?
Werder Bremen were expected to kick on this season after qualifying for the Champions League - that hasn’t been the case. Embarrassing defeats, including 4-1 losses to Hoffenheim and Hannover and a 6-0 hammering away at Stuttgart, have done little to ease the pressure on coach Schaaf.While Spurs top the group and can secure qualification to the last 16 with a victory on Wednesday night, Werder Bremen are looking to keep their hopes of staying in the competition alive. A loss for the German side would see them have to beat Inter on matchday six to stand any chance of even reaching the Europa League, but if FC Twente beat Inter, their chances of staying in Europe will be over altogether.
Final Straw For Schaaf?
General manager Klaus Allofs insisted Schaaf is still the right man for the job after the club’s latest defeat - 4-0 at Schalke - before confirming on Monday that the boss of over 10 years had not handed in his resignation, despite reports in Germany claiming that to be the case.
"There was no threat of resignation or the question of a possible resignation in any team meeting," he said.
Players attempted to apologise to their supporters after the defeat to Schalke but were met with a rather damning chant: "Apart from [Tim Wiese], you can all go home."
TEAM NEWS
Tottenham
Jermain Defoe is pushing to start in place of Roman Pavlyuchenko after replacing the Russian in the win over Arsenal at the weekend.Ledley King and Michael Dawson are still injured, so William Gallas and Younes Kaboul look likely to continue at centre-back.
There are no fresh injury concerns for Harry Redknapp, which means he has the option of naming an unchanged side if he feels Defoe is not yet fully fit to start.
Possible starting XI: Gomes; Hutton, Gallas, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Jenas, Modric, Bale; Van der Vaart; Defoe.
Werder Bremen
Thomas Schaaf has a host of injury problems as his struggling side travel to north London, with Mikael Silvestre (back), Marko Arnautovic (thigh) and Wesley (hamstring) all missing out.
Claudio Pizarro, Clemens Fritz, Naldo, Sebastian Boenisch and Tim Borowski are also on the treatment table.
Bremen will also be without the suspended Torsten Frings, after he was given his marching orders last time out against FC Twente.
Possible starting XI: Wiese; Pasanen, Mertesacker, Proedl, Jensen; Husejinovic, Bargfrede, Marin; Hunt; Arnautovic, Almeida.
Thomas Schaaf has a host of injury problems as his struggling side travel to north London, with Mikael Silvestre (back), Marko Arnautovic (thigh) and Wesley (hamstring) all missing out.Claudio Pizarro, Clemens Fritz, Naldo, Sebastian Boenisch and Tim Borowski are also on the treatment table.
Bremen will also be without the suspended Torsten Frings, after he was given his marching orders last time out against FC Twente.
Possible starting XI: Wiese; Pasanen, Mertesacker, Proedl, Jensen; Husejinovic, Bargfrede, Marin; Hunt; Arnautovic, Almeida.
Prediction
Tottenham go into the game in terrific form in Europe and off the back of a great comeback against Arsenal at the weekend. And that, coupled with Werder Bremen’s recent woes, means Spurs should have enough to secure their passage to the last 16 with a win at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham 3-1 Werder Bremen 
