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In-form Lazio face Europa League test at Tottenham

Sport
ROME — Lazio coach Vladimir Petkovic says his in-form team can still improve as it prepares for today’s Europa League opener at Tottenham Hotspur.

ROME — Lazio coach Vladimir Petkovic says his in-form team can still improve as it prepares for today’s Europa League opener at Tottenham Hotspur.

Report by Reuters Lazio has got off to a perfect start this season, winning all five of its games in Serie A and the Europa League qualifiers.

  However, it faces perhaps its toughest test yet against a Tottenham side returning to Europe’s second competition after a debut season in the Champions League.

  “We’ve improved a lot,” Petkovic said. “But there are still margins for progress and that pleases me. I don’t doubt that the lads will keep their feet on the ground. We’ll let the fans have the pleasure of praising the team, but we have to think about today’s game.

  “We’ve got our confidence back and every positive result boosts that and we want to continue like this.”  Tottenham is finding its feet under new coach Andre Villas Boas and picked up its first win of the season against Reading on Sunday, following two draws and a defeat.

  “They’re a very solid squad, very strong and they have got their confidence back in time for the Europa League,” Petkovic said.

  “After the victory against Reading, they have started to believe in Villas Boas.

  The other game in Group J sees Panathinaikos visit NK Maribor.

  Atletico Madrid kicks off the defence of its title at Hapoel Tel-Aviv and coach Diego Simeone has surprisingly left Radamel Falcao out of his squad.

  The Colombia striker, who has scored nine goals in six games for club and country to start the season, was missing from Tuesday’s team list alongside playmaker Arda Turan, captain Gabi Fernandez and defenders Filipe Luis and Diego Godin, as Simeone preferred to spare them from the long trip ahead of its next league match against Valladolid.

  Meanwhile, French leader Marseille hosts Fenerbahce at the Stade Velodrome.

  Marseille has set a club record after opening the season with five straight wins to sit atop the league against all expectations, having sold key players in the summer.

  Two teams seeking to win their fourth title, Liverpool and Internazionale, kick off their campaigns against Young Boys and Rubin Kazan respectively. Elswehere, Napoli hosts Swedish outfit AIK Solna, while last season’s runner-up Athletic Bilbao entertains Hapoel Kiryat Shmona.