Borussia Dortmund 0-1 (0-4 on agg.) Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs put in the perfect away performance in Dortmund tonight as Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game to make it a 4-0 aggregate win over BVB.
Dortmund were the better side in the first half of the first leg, but a disastrous second 45 gave them a mountain to climb. And it was a similar pattern at the Signal Iduna Park: BVB attacking throughout the first half and then succumbing to a sucker punch in the second. It’s Mauricio Pochettino who takes his side to the last eight of the 2019 Champions League.
This was a great Euro victory for Spurs, but you’d have to say the big Champions League 2019 news of the night came from Madrid where Ajax hammered Los Blancos 1-4. What about that then, SBOBET Champions League fans? The 2016, 17 and 18 champions are out!
But it was Spurs’ night in Dortmund, and King Harry Kane was the man for the big moment yet again.
Highlights of the game
Favre started with Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer in a clear indication that he thought the game was not yet up. The Yellow Wall was alive with flags waving and drums banging as Dortmund started at a fierce tempo. Spurs hardly touched the ball in the opening five minutes. Reus had the first opening of the game, clean through on goal, but Jan Vertonghen made a great tackle.
Hugo Lloris had a fantastic first half to preserve his team’s lead as BVB threw everything at the visitors, making a superb save to keep out a deflected Reus shot. He also got down well to stop a header from Julian Weigl on the line. The French keeper then made a brilliant save to palm away a shot from Mario Gotze and denied Alcacer who curled one from the edge of the box.
Jadon Sancho has been box office in his first full season in Dortmund and has, unsurprisingly, attracted the attention of PSG and Manchester United. However, he had a quiet first 45 minutes, though he did force another save from Lloris before half-time.
The hosts began the second half as they ended the first, and Reus got behind the Spurs defence to fire a dangerous ball across the six-yard box, but there was no-one there to make the vital touch. And then, wouldn’t you know it, as the home fans wondered how on earth they weren’t ahead, Spurs scored!
Moussa Sissoko won the ball in midfield and played a quick ball through to Kane who finished beautifully with a curling shot to beat Roman Burki. Dortmund now needed five goals to win and that was, pretty much, the end of their European dream.
Favre’s last throw of the dice was to bring Christian Pulisic and Jacob Bruun Larsen on to try to achieve the impossible, but it was Spurs who had another attempt on goal, with Toby Alderweireld heading a Christian Eriksen corner over the bar.
Pulisic did have a chance when a cross reached him in the middle of the penalty area. He had time and space but headed over the bar. There was still time for man-of-the-match Lloris to make another save to deny Alcacer.
Key Statistics
The pre-match BVB vs Spurs betting odds pointed to a home win and a tense evening, but it turned out to be quite the opposite in the end.
Dortmund were totally dominant in the first half but just couldn’t beat Spurs’ last line of defence as Lloris made five saves and the shot count read ten to one. Harry Kane’s goal, early in the second half, knocked the stuffing out of their hosts.
Kane is now Spurs’ all-time leading scorer in Europe and has hit the net in three of the four games he’s played since his return from injury.
And Spurs have scored 12 of their 13 Champions League goals this season in the second half.
What’s next?
BVB and FC Bayern are now neck and neck at the top of the Bundesliga, and Lucien Favre must lift his players quickly for the challenge.
Stuttgart are the next visitors to the Signal Iduna Park, and languishing in 16th they should be there for the taking. FC Bayern are at home to Wolfsburg, and that might present a stiffer challenge as their visitors are unbeaten in five and chasing a Europa League place.
After a poor run in the league, Spurs are now ten points behind leaders Manchester City and only four ahead of Arsenal in fifth place. An away trip to Southampton won’t be easy; the Saints are on a decent run and fighting for their lives.
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