Only one Tottenham player remains from the last Europa League starting squad, which saw Harry Kane fail on a crucial occasion

Tottenham will be hoping to put their previous Europa League nightmare behind them when they return to competition on Thursday.

Spurs will face Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the European Division Two tournament in north London on Thursday night – live on talkSPORT 2.

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After spending last season outside of Europe following a disappointing eighth-place finish in the 2022/23 season, Ange Postecoglou helped his side to a creditable fifth-place finish last season.

And just three years on from their last Europa League appearance in March 2021, their team is almost unrecognisable.

Only one player remains from the starting XI that suffered a surprise 3-0 away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the round of 16 second leg.

Spurs looked destined to reach the quarter-finals after a 2-0 first-leg win, with Harry Kane scoring twice.

But in the return match, away to the Croatians, he failed to score, suffering two rejections from goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

His misses proved costly, with a Mislav Orsic hat-trick leading to Spurs being sent off to an embarrassing exit after what was supposed to be a comfortable win.

Their performance prompted then manager Jose Mourinho to issue a heartfelt apology to the club’s supporters, while also deploring the attitude of his men.

Former captain Hugo Lloris, for his part, criticised his teammates: “I think we are more than disappointed, it’s a shame. I hope everyone in the dressing room feels responsible.”

Before adding: “We lack basics, fundamentals, our performances are just related to that. Mentally, we should be stronger, more competitive.”

Here, talkSPORT.com takes a look at Spurs’ starting XI on that fateful night in Croatia, with ten of those players no longer on their books.

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Goalkeeper

A club icon, Lloris made 447 appearances for Spurs during his 12-year spell in north London.

But errors quickly began to creep into his game towards the end of his spell, leading to the Frenchman being left out of the squad following Postecoglou’s appointment last year.

He currently plies his trade in America with Los Angeles FC.

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Defenders

Left-back Ben Davies is the only player still in Spurs’ squad from their clash with Zagreb.

However, the Welshman is no longer a key player, with the 31-year-old yet to feature in any of the club’s Premier League games this season.

Serge Aurier started out as a right-back for Tottenham but the Ivorian joined Villarreal shortly after the Zagreb defeat following inconsistent performances.

The central defender pairing consisted of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, both transferred by Postecoglou.

Dier was allowed to join Bayern Munich in the 2024 winter transfer window, while Sanchez was sold to Galatasaray last summer.

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Midfielders

A double pivot saw Harry Winks partner Moussa Sissoko in the heart of midfield.

Two years earlier, they had also started Spurs’ Champions League final, which they lost to Liverpool.

Dele Alli then stepped into the number 10 role but failed to impress on what was one of Spurs’ most humiliating nights in Europe.

Winks left Spurs last year to join Leicester after being deemed surplus to requirements.

Meanwhile, Sissoko joined Watford after the 2020/21 season, while Alli, currently out of work, joined Everton in 2022.

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Attackers

On the right wing was Erik Lamela, who scored an incredible Rabona goal at Arsenal just days before the clash against Zagreb.

Having never reached his full potential with Spurs, he was transferred to Sevilla in 2021.

As for left winger Lucas Moura, he was released just before Postecoglou took over after five and a half years at the club.

Meanwhile, Kane, who would go on to become Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer, left last year for Bayern Munich in his quest for a trophy.

That has so far eluded him in Germany, although his goalscoring exploits have earned him recognition as one of the best central strikers in the world.

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