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It's not going to be easy for Tottenham Hotspur to get to the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League, but it could have been so much worse. We've ended up with a tough, but fair group, and it should present an enjoyable but not overwhelming challenge. You can find the entire draw at UEFA.com.
UEFA Europa League Group A
Tottenham Hotspur
Rubin Kazan
PAOK
Shamrock Rovers
Oh, poor Shamrock Rovers. I was really hoping that they would be drawn into a weak group so they would have a chance to nick a knockout round place, but it would be absolutely stunning to see the Irish side do enough to better Tottenham and Rubin Kazan. Still, it's going to be absolutely fantastic to host them and to travel away to Dublin.
Obviously, a match away to Rubin is going to be nasty, just like it is for everyone else. You may remember them holding Barcelona to a draw at home in Russia last season. They're a very tough team to break down and they actually have a fair amount of creativity for playing such a rigid style.
What do you guys think? Are we heavy favorites? Are you happy with just nicking second or do you want to take this seriously?