Notebook - Pacos de Ferreira v Spurs

In the second instalment of our new pre-match feature, the Notebook, we take a look at the key points of interest ahead of our opening game in the newly established UEFA Europa Conference League.

Tonight, we kick-off our campaign in the inaugural season of the European competition with the first leg of our play-off round tie against Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira.

1 - Spurs in Portugal

While we have never faced Pacos de Ferreira, we have met several Portuguese teams in competitive fixtures over the years. Since travelling to face Benfica in the semi-finals of the European Cup back in our first European campaign of 1961/62, we have been back to Portugal on five more occasions, facing three other outfits along the ways - Vitoria de Setubal, Braga and Porto.

In our six trips to Portugal, we have won twice (both against Braga – a 3-0 win in UEFA Cup first round in September, 1984, and a 3-2 win in the competition’s round of 16 in March, 2007), drawn twice and lost twice. All coming in two-legged affairs, we have progressed from four of the six ties (we failed to advance in 1961/61 European Cup semi-finals versus Benfica and from 2013/14 Europa League round of 16 tie against the same opponent).

2 - Furniture capital

F.C. Pacos de Ferreria will be hoping for some home comforts tonight as we make the trip to their base in the north west of Portugal – a region nicknamed the capital of furniture. Located on the outskirts of Porto, Pacos de Ferreira’s fabric is one of various ages, but it is for their produce and exports of home furnishings that the city is best known for.

Built upon the carpentry trade over the last century, Pacos has become a renowned centre for furniture with thousands of companies in the industry now calling it home. And it is from the city’s nickname that the home ground of tonight’s opponents has taken its name - ‘Estadio Capital do Movel’ (Furniture Capital Stadium).

3 - Nuno’s Pacos experience

Having spent three years of his managerial career to date in Portugal - spells in charge of Rio Ave (2012-14) and Porto (2016-17) - Nuno Espirito Santo has faced Pacos de Ferreira on eight occasions. First taking on Pacos in December, 2012, with Rio Ave, Nuno has been victorious against Os Castores twice, lost twice and drawn four times (all 0-0). His most recent meeting with Pacos came in May, 2017, while he was Porto manager - he came away with a 4-1 win.

4 - Eric’s Pacos bout

The only member of our current squad to have faced Pacos de Ferreira in a competitive game is Eric Dier. Back in December, 2013, during his time with Sporting CP in Portugal, Eric faced Pacos in the Primeira Liga. On that day, the 19-year-old started the game in the heart of defence as Sporting ran out 4-0 winners against the outfit from the Porto district.

5 - Pacos’ European exploits

Tonight’s match marks the start of Pacos de Ferreira’s fifth European campaign in their 71-year history with the Europa Conference League being the third European competition they have been involved in. First qualifying for Europe ahead of the 2007/08 season, they had a fleeting first appearance on the continent as they exited the first round of the UEFA Cup at the hands of a Mousa Dembele-boasting AZ Alkmaar in October, 2007.

They later qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-off round in 2013/14, but again their time in the competition was brief as they exited at the same stage following an 8-3 aggregate defeat to Zenit St Petersburg. Only once have they made it past the qualifying rounds of a European competition - that was in 2013/14 when their Champions League play-off round defeat saw them placed into the Europa League group stage, however they did not advance from their group, finishing third.

6 - Team news - fresh starting XI

Nuno Espirito Santo will be making wholesale changes for our Europa League Conference opener. Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday night, he confirmed that the players who started Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester City will not be involved against Pacos de Ferreira, meaning we will see an entirely different Spurs starting XI at the Estadio Capital do Movel. The boss, however, explained that the changes made to the team does not bear any reflection on our ambitions in the competition.

“It was a decision that we made. It was important that our players - all of them - have real competition,” Nuno explained. “For tomorrow, the decision is that the players who started on Sunday are not going to be involved.

“We take it very seriously, this competition. What we consider, this is a good chance for us to have the squad involved, to have young players from the academy also on the bench, potentially, and this is how we want to build our squad - to have real competition. For our players, it’s the best thing we can have because we are starting all the competitions.”

7 - Nuno v Simao

Nuno Espirito Santo has faced Pacos de Ferreira boss Jorge Simao twice already in his career, with both meetings coming during Nuno’s spell in charge of Porto. His first clash with Simao came in the fourth round of the Portuguese League Cup in November, 2016 when the now Pacos manager was coaching GD Chaves - Nuno’s side suffering defeat via a penalty shootout. The second and most recent meeting to date came six months later with Simao then in charge of SC Braga - the game finished as a 1-1 draw.

8 - The view from Pacos

Pacos de Ferreira boss Jorge Simao wants his players to fight for every ball tonight. Addressing the media in his pre-match press conference, Simao spoke of the differences between the two teams, both on and off the pitch, however the Portuguese manager is hoping the conditions in Pacos, as well as the home crowd, can help give his players the edge,

“I would like the opposing players to find it difficult to play against (us). I will not be playing the role of the daring spinster here, because the differences between the badges are obvious and abysmal, but (to) give us the opportunity to fight for the game,” he explained.

"The grass is good, the dimensions of the terrain are the same, although the involvement of the stands is certainly inferior, and I believe that the atmosphere in the stadium is warm in the sense of supporting us for a good performance. The feeling that goes inside is that let's fight, give ourselves the chance to face and fight... for good things in the game."

9 - Flying visit

While we will be the first English side Pacos de Ferreira have faced in a competitive match, the Portuguese side are no strangers to English opposition. Over the last eight years, Pacos have faced three Premier League sides in pre-season friendlies in West Ham United, Newcastle United and Leeds United.

First welcoming a Moussa Sissoko-boasting Newcastle to Portugal in July, 2013, Pacos earned a 1-1 draw with the Magpies. Later that summer they travelled to east London to take on West Ham - the Hammers coming out on top that day, 2-1. Then, in September, 2020, Leeds hosted Pacos at their Thorp Arch training ground for a behind-closed-doors friendly – the Yorkshire outfit triumphed 3-1.

10 - Davies: "Tough test awaits"

Ben Davies knows tonight’s game will be anything but plain sailing. A seasoned European campaigner who is in line to make his 60th appearance on the continent this evening (52 for us, seven for Swansea so far), Ben is well aware of the challenges posed by these games.

Having never faced Pacos de Ferreira, the Portuguese side are somewhat an unknown quantity, however, in the knowledge that they suffered a 3-0 league defeat to Boavista on Monday, the Welsh international is expecting Pacos will be eager to put that right against us tonight.

“We've been discussing (the fixture) this week after our result at the weekend. We're expecting a tough game," he explained. "We know they didn't have a great result against Boavista at the weekend, but they have everything to play for in this game. They'll have no fear, and we need to be ready for the challenge.”