Charlie Nicholas has predicted Tottenham to lose on Tuesday night when they play away against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stages.
Spurs play away in Germany against the Bundesliga outfit and have already secured their place in the knockout rounds of the competition.
They still need one more victory from their remaining two games to guarantee top spot, with Apoel Nicosia the final group game in December.
The north London club beat Dortmund in their previous meeting at Wembley and have looked strong in Europe, but lost at the weekend 2-0 to Arsenal in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Dortmund are likely to drop down to the Europa League after a poor showing in the Champions League so far and they are only fifth in their domestic league as it stands.
Sky Sports pundit Nicholas has tipped Spurs to lose 2-1 during their trip to Germany and hinted that manager Mauricio Pochettino may be tempted to rest some key players.
“Dortmund are struggling in the league and it’s been such a disappointing campaign,” Nicholas wrote in his column for Sky Sports.
“They must be incredibly frustrated and at some point there will surely be a backlash.
“At the weekend people were saying that Spurs will want to go and get a result here, but I’m not sure that’s the case. The group is already settled as they just need to beat Apoel at home.
“So if I’m Mauricio Pochettino, with Harry Kane looking 75 per cent fit and Christian Eriksen surely tired, I’d be more concerned about getting the squad right rather than trying to force a response out of the team.”
OPINION
Spurs should certainly rest some of their top players on Tuesday and keep them fresh ahead of a must-win game at home to West Brom at the weekend. Pochettino has options in his squad to filed a new-look team and they should be able to give Dortmund a contest. They have earned the right to rest some star men and must make the most of the opportunity to do so. Spurs will want a reaction from their weekend defeat against north London rivals Arsenal, but giving some of their fringe players to impress and stake their claim for a starting berth is a smart idea.