How Spurs can repeat versus Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. The London side were dominant at every stage of the game but there is still another leg to go. Here’s how Spurs can finish the job.

Pochettino needs to study why Tottenham were so effective and try to repeat what gave them the edge. For one thing, there was liberal use of defensive players on the attack. Early on, Juan Foyth was able to get deep into BVB territory. Of course, when a defender goes up the field, there should be another player, like a CDM or a fellow defender, ready to take his place if the opposition counters.

Perhaps Jan Vertonghen will again line up on the left side as a wing back. This proved to be highly effective with a goal and an assist.

With Vertonghen on the left, this led to a somewhat bizarre formation. The players in the 5-in-the-back lineup weren’t flanked by two typical wing backs. There were 4 players that usually line up as center backs. This was an ingenious decision by Pochettino.

With 4 tall center backs, Tottenham had a definite height advantage against BVB. Because of this, Spurs’ most effective attacks were through the air.

This was observed by BVB player Christian Pulisic. He said “Unfortunately, we just weren’t locked in on their crosses and they were able to score off three crosses, and we’ve got to work on that.”

Unless BVB radically change their lineup, Tottenham will continue to have a height advantage over them. This is how Spurs can seal the deal.

Pochettino could very well decide to try the 5-in-the-back formation again since it brought great results. Maybe he will go with a 4-in-the-back lineup featuring Aurier, Alderweireld, Foyth/Sanchez, and Vertonghen. Still, he shouldn’t stray too far from Wednesday’s lineup. If Tottenham can get close to the excellence of that match, they will have a one-way ticket to the quarter-finals.