Tottenham Hotspur Look To Bounce Back In Champions League After Defeat At Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur Look To Bounce Back In Champions League After Defeat At Arsenal
07:00, 21 Nov 2017

Champions League Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Tottenham Hotspur

Kick-off: November 21 19:45; Venue: Signal Iduna Park

Tottenham will not have expected to head to Dortmund having already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, but that is the comfortable position they find themselves in.

What was expected to be the key fixture for both sides is now all-important for BVB and somewhat less so for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who will still be hoping to top Group H at the expense of European champions Real Madrid.

Spurs have done remarkably well to escape the so-called ‘Group of Death’ thanks to 3-1 home victories over Dortmund and Madrid, a 3-0 win over APOEL Nicosia, and a 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu.

With five goals so far, Harry Kane has unsurprisingly been the key man so far. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, the undisputed king of the Champions League, has found the back of the net more times in the competition this season.

Like the rest of his Spurs team-mates, Kane has been particularly impressive away from home. They will be looking to Europe for some respite after such a disappointing north London derby defeat at the Emirates.

Neither Kane nor Dele Alli looked entirely fit during that 2-0 loss, but what will frustrate their fans the most is that Tottenham simply didn’t look like they wanted it enough. Pochettino will undoubtedly expect a reaction on Tuesday night.

Peter Bosz will be asking the same of his players. BVB slipped up in their last outing against Stuttgart and there is already a real concern that their season is already starting to pitter out and we’re not yet in December.

The last time the two sides faced each other at the Westfalenstadion, Mauricio Pochettino opted for an under-strength line-up featuring the likes of Tom Carroll, Josh Onomah, and Ryan Mason. His side were thrashed 3-0. The Spurs boss can afford to take no such chances on this occasion; it’s important his side finish top so they can face a second-placed side from another group. Realistically, that could still land them the likes of Bayern Munich or Juventus.

Team news

Pochettino confirmed last week that the injury Toby Alderweireld picked up against Real is worse than first feared. The Belgian will join long-term absentee Victor Wanyama in the treatment room. The big talking point ahead of the Arsenal game was Danny Rose’s absence. The left-back wasn’t injured but didn’t travel with the squad for the short trip – the official line is that he needed extra fitness work, but given his recent rebellious history, it was bound to raise eyebrows.

Likewise, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dropped for Friday’s trip to Stuttgart for disciplinary reasons, which reportedly included turning up to training late on several occasions. It remains to be seen whether Bosz restores him to the fold. The Gabon international will have fond memories of playing against the north Londoners, as he scored three goals across the two legs against Spurs in 2016. The striker has also had a direct hand in almost 40% of BVB’s goals this season.

Defender Sokratis is likely to miss out with a rib injury, along with Marco Reus, Sebastian Rode, Erik Durm, Liszczek Piszczek.

Expected starting line-ups

Dortmund: Burki, Toljan, Zagadou, Bartra, Schmelzer, Gotze, Weigl, Kagawa, Pulisic, Aubameyang, Philipp

Tottenham: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Winks, Eriksen, Son, Alli, Kane

Did you know?

Spurs don’t have a great record on German soil, losing four, drawing one, and winning two of the European games they have played away to Bundesliga opposition.

Prediction:

Dortmund just haven’t been convincing so far this season and while Tottenham are coming off the back of arguably their worst performance of the campaign, they should have that bit more in their locker.

Spurs have scored 10 goals in four Champions League games, whereas BVB haven’t even been able to beat APOEL.

Based purely on their European form so far, it should be Tottenham’s travelling contingent who go away the happiest.

Dortmund 1-2 Tottenham

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.