Wolfsberger AC vs. Tottenham Hotspur – Europa League, February 18, 2021

Wolfsberger and Tottenham meet in Austria for the first leg of their Europa League Round of 32 tie on Thursday, February 18.

WAC is one of the bookmakers’ outsiders to win the competition, while Spurs are among the favorites to go all the way this season. So, can the hosts upset the odds on Thursday?

Read on to find my Wolfsberger AC vs. Tottenham Hotspur prediction and betting pick.

Unsurprisingly, the leading online sportsbooks view Tottenham (1.39) as the clear favorite to win the first leg.

As you can see, the odds are firmly stacked against Wolfsberger (7.00), suggesting that it will be extremely difficult for the home side to keep the visitors at bay on Thursday.

Let’s take a closer look at both sides.

When Wolfsberger was drawn alongside Dinamo Zagreb, Feyenoord, and CSKA Moscow in a tricky Europa League group, very few people expected the Austrian underdogs to advance to the knockout phase.

But after doing the double over Feyenoord and picking up a couple of positive results against CSKA, Ferdinand Feldhofer’s side ended up finishing second in Group K – five point clear of third-place Feyenoord and four points behind Dynamo.

Prior to this season, WAC had never qualified for the knockout phase of any European tournament. Now, the club faces one of the competition’s frontrunners.

It’s fair to say that Wolfsberger hasn’t enjoyed the best preparations for Thursday’s match. Feldhofer’s men have only managed to win two of their previous six domestic games, leaving them sixth in the Austrian Bundesliga standings – 16 points shy of first-place RB Salzburg.

Needless to say, WAC can’t afford to put in a below-par performance when Spurs come to town.

In fairness, Tottenham’s Europa League preparations have also been shoddy. Indeed, since the group stage finished back in December, the English side has only won three of their 12 Premier League games.

Not so long ago, Spurs were being talked about as genuine EPL title contenders. But following four defeats in their previous five outings, the club now sits all the way down in ninth place – 17 points behind runaway leader Manchester City.

Jose Mourinho’s men made light work of their Europa League opponents earlier in the campaign, losing only one of their six group games to finish top of Group J. They also scored 15 goals in six matches, conceding just five along the way.

However, Tottenham’s mid-season collapse could see the team suffer on the European stage, as well as in the Premier League.

Mourinho will be hoping that his players can flex their muscles and assert their EPL authority over the Austrian underdogs on Thursday.

It is no secret that Spurs have not been enjoying themselves in the Premier League recently. Still, they possess more than enough quality to overcome Wolfsberger and generate a healthy first-leg advantage.

Feldhofer’s men stunned everyone by qualifying from the group stage and reaching their first-ever European knockout phase. But at the end of the day, I can’t see them making it any further in the competition.