Tottenham Suffer Their Second Loss in the Europa League

The first leg didn’t go in Tottenham’s favor at all throughout this game, but the result itself isn’t surprising.

For a match-up that pitted the Bundesliga’s second-placed team against the Premier League’s second best, it was a fixture that everyone was highly anticipating. Unfortunately the final result proved that there is still a big gap between Tottenham and elite teams.

Against England’s elites this year — a major down year for almost all of them — Tottenham have held their own. But when matched against one of Germany’s elites, Spurs have finally met their match.

This game was always going to be a difficult one for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and it proved with a 3-0 loss by being dominated in possession, shots, shots on target and scoring chances.

In all honesty, there’s nothing to be ashamed of in this defeat. Because Borussia Dortmund are that damn good. Today just reinforced that statement.

Now, if we were to actually analyze this game from a different standpoint than what was already obvious: Dortmund dominated Tottenham rather easily for a convincing win. Here are two more ways to explain why this game turned out the way it did.

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One, because Mauricio Pochettino’s side was coming off of a grueling 2-2 draw against Arsenal five days prior, a rotation was needed. Considering that this is a two-legged affair then it’s fine to see so much change happening in the starting eleven.

That said, because Spurs didn’t get wins against West Ham and Arsenal, a win is needed over Aston Villa. Whether Pochettino starts a strong lineup to make sure they come away with three points is up for debate following this big defeat today.

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Secondly, Tottenham’s Europa League group stage draw was very easy for those who remember. And the fact that Spurs didn’t face a tough opponent like BVB, only makes this outcome look much worse than it actually is.

Against the likes of Qarabağ, Anderlecht and Monaco, Tottenham weren’t exactly dealing with teams who could dominate them like Dortmund just did.

So in a way, Spurs are just now dealing with a team who has their number by hanging three goals over them. Which is actually the first time that Tottenham has conceded that many this season in all competitions.

A testament to how good Spurs have been and how bad other teams were when matched against Tottenham this year.

For both fan-bases and neutrals alike, while this game was something to watch for and is still an intriguing match-up between two clubs who have only faced each other a handful of times, most of which have been friendlies. The second leg will be another good game to watch out for.

The first-ever competitive match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur didn’t go exactly the way Mauricio Pochettino would have wanted, supporters included, when it should have been an evenly contested game based on how good both teams have been this campaign.

Next: Who Will Start for Spurs Against Dortmund?

The return fixture will ultimately make or break Tottenham’s season. A win can do wonders and have this young squad fully believe they can beat anybody if they get past Dortmund. A loss might have the same effect like it did last year where the team’s form spiraled out of control and saw them miss out on a Champions League spot.

Champions League football is still up for grabs but Tottenham have it mostly secured. Winning the Premier League title though, that depends on the second leg and how bad Spurs’ confidence takes a hit if they lose again — and badly.