Notebook - Spurs v NS Mura

Tonight, we welcome NS Mura to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Europa Conference League for Matchday Two of our Group G campaign (8pm kick-off).

Here in the Notebook, we take a look at the fixture’s key points…

1 - Last time out in Group G

On Matchday One in Group G, it was mixed starts for both sides. While we picked up a point in our opener, drawing 2-2 on our trip to Stade Rennais, NS Mura suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Vitesse. The results see us head into tonight’s game second in the table, while Mura sit bottom.

2 - Mura’s stark rise

Despite having only been formed as a team ahead of the 2013/14 season, NS Mura have a enjoyed a rapid rise to now compete in European competition. Reformed following the dissolution of Mura 05 eight years ago, the Slovenian side have since climbed from the eastern European nation’s fourth tier all the way to clinching the top-flight title earlier this year.

Having also lifted the domestic cup in 2020, their championship win last season came in remarkable circumstances. Heading into the final match of the season, Mura were second in the table, three points behind leaders NK Maribor – and the two teams just happened to be facing each other in a title showdown. With the Slovenian league using a head-to-head system to determine placings should teams finish level, Mura needed a win at the home of the country’s most famous side. And they did just that, scoring two late goals to claim their first ever championship title.

3 – Mura in Europe

This season, Mura are embarking on just their third-ever campaign in European football while it is the first time they have ever made it to the group stages of a European competition. First qualifying for the 2019/20 Europa League, their inaugural tie on the continent came in the first qualifying round of the tournament, although they lost 5-2 on aggregate in that clash to Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. Last term, they returned to the competition and managed to progress to the third qualifying round before they were edged out by Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

4 - Mura’s route to the Europa Conference League

While tonight’s clash will be just our fourth outing in Europe so far this season, for Mura, it will be their 10^th. Having been crowned champions of the Slovenian top flight last season, Mura qualified for the Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time. In the first round they defeated KF Shkendija – opponents of ours in Europa League qualifying last season – 6-0 on aggregate but they then fell to another of our adversaries from last season’s European campaign, Ludogorets, in the second qualifying round.

That defeat saw them placed in the Europa League’s third qualifying round, from which they progressed, knocking out Zalgiris of Lithuania, but they then exited the competition in the play-offs after being beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Austrian side Sturm Graz. That reverse saw them reassigned to the Europa Conference League group stage.

5 – Nuno on Mura

Nuno Espirito Santo is looking at tonight’s clash with NS Mura as an opportunity for the squad to react to Sunday’s disappointment at the Emirates.

“Obviously the mood is not good. We’re sad, disappointed,” Nuno said in his pre-match press conference. “There’s a feeling we have to realise that it’s with us, it goes home with us, it doesn’t allow us to sleep but can only make us stronger to react and the reaction is tomorrow.

“Of course (this is a big game), and we need to change (the mood) today and tomorrow and the day after, because this is the moment when we have to react. As you can imagine, it’s not a good feeling this way, like we are feeling now, like our fans are feeling now, it’s not good. But the difference between us and our fans is that we can change it. We can change it. It's up to us to change it."

6 – Our Slovenian encounters

We might not have met NS Mura before in European competition, but we have faced a Slovenian side before. Back in the 2012/13 season, we were drawn into the same Europa League group as 15-time Slovenian First League champions NK Maribor. First travelling to Maribor in October, 2012, we earned a 1-1 draw at Stadion Ljudski vrt. Then, two weeks later, we defeated Maribor 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

7 – Slovenian Spurs

Just one Slovenian national has worn our colours before – that was Milenko Acimovic. Born in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, Acimovic made his name at Serbian side Crvena zvezda before joining us in April, 2002. In 21 months in north London, the attacking midfielder made just 18 appearances for us before joining Lille in January, 2004. He later moved to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad prior to a return to Europe with Austria Wien where he finished his career in September, 2010.

8 – At home in Europe

We are currently enjoying a strong run at home in European football. In our last seven such outings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we have come out on top in all of them, scoring 25 goals. We have also kept a clean sheet in each of the last six.

9 – Dele’s half-century

If Dele Alli is selected to play a part in tonight’s game, it will mark the midfielder’s 50^thappearance for us in European club competition. In playing against Mura, Dele, currently on 49 European appearances, will become the fourth member of our current squad and the ninth Spur in history to reach that milestone. Harry Kane became our top European appearance-maker when he led the line against Rennes on Matchday One, playing his 65^th game in continental football.

10 – Team news

Ahead of the clash with NS Mura, Nuno confirmed that Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon remain unavailable for selection as they continue their recoveries from their respective injuries. Nuno also revealed that he will be making changes to our starting XI tonight.