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Football London
Football London
Sport
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

'Supercomputer' predicts Champions League Group B standings - and it's mixed news for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur have backed to finish as runners-up in their Champions League group this season.

The north London outfit will be looking to go one better this term after being beaten by Liverpool in an all-Premier League final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, back in June.

Standing in Mauricio Pochettino side's way of reaching successive finals are Bayern Munich, Red Star and Olympiakos.

On paper it looks like a winnable group, but website FiveThirtyEight doesn't agree.

They've crunched the numbers and have placed the Lilywhites as second favourites behind Bayern Munich - the 2013 winners - to emerge as group winners.

The great news is that the probability of Spurs finishing second which means a place in the round of 16 - although that could mean a tougher two-legged tie - is 46 per cent.

Having finished second in their group last season and still reaching the final, Tottenham won't have anything to fear and would probably settle for history repeating itself.

Olympiakos' probability of making the round of 16 is 34 per cent and there's more of a chance they'll be playing Europa League football the new year (45 per cent).

Meanwhile, Red Star second successive appearance in the group stage of the competition is set to end miserably with them given a eight per cent chance of making the round of 16 stage.

Spurs face Olympiakos on Wednesday and warmed up for the clash at the Karaiskakis Stadium with an impressive 4-0 win over London rivals Crystal Palace at the weekend.

And Pochettino has promised to rotate his squad regardless of any injury fears.

"I don't care if there are injury worries because we are going to rotate anyway because we are after going to play Saturday and then in the Carabao Cup, many game," he told reporters.

"Of course be ready, because I'm going to rotate the squad and the team and try to be creative on Tuesday and ask me not always the same questions always about when some players are not in the squad or team or this player is playing and not another. Please, please."

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