So after making hard work of our first leg against Birkirkara last week, we now have to ensure we finish the job in Malta tonight.
James Tomkins was the hero with a 90th minute winner in the first leg, but we can’t rely on him – or anyone else – to save the day right at the death this time around.
Any early goal tonight ‘should’ be the killer blow we need to secure our place in the third qualifying round, but we all know it’s not that easy.
Slaven Bilic could name an unchanged XI from the first leg tonight – though Pedro Obiang could replace Kevin Nolan – but he’d be wishing he could call upon a few of his other new arrivals as well.
Dimitri Payet is suspended and Carl Jenkinson has only just returned to training, which means he’s unlikely to feature.
But we should still have enough to win the game comfortably and look forward to the next round…
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