Tottenham Finish off Dortmund in Germany to Advance to UCL Quarters

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Tottenham Hotspur took a 3-goal lead into Germany to face Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park where the BVB supporters left more disappointed than when they started after a 0-1 Spurs win.

It is not often you get to face a team like Borussia Dortmund with a three-goal lead from the start, but that was the position Tottenham Hotspur found themselves in Tuesday. Following a conservative game plan to perfection, Spurs left winners 0-1 on the night and 0-4 on aggregate moving on to the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 05: Moussa Sissoko and Serge Aurier of Tottenham Hotspur are closed down by Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur at Westfalen Stadium on March 05, 2019 in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /

Spurs Tactical Approach

With most teams, but especially Tottenham, seeing the names on paper and seeing how they actually line-up are sometimes two very different things. With the defense Spurs have been known to roll with a back five, four, or three depending on the circumstances. In a typical game, it is usually three of four that Mauricio Pochettino lines-up using the wings for width.

Having three goals in the bag, there was a clear five-man back-line for Spurs from beginning to end. While everyone else was going to be out-numbered all night on the pitch, the defense was not going to be caught against numbers. The conservative approach worked for Pochettino and company, as the defense was a bend but don’t break group all night.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 05: A general view as Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund takes on Harry Winks of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur at Westfalen Stadium on March 05, 2019 in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /

Essentially, if Kane, Son, and Eriksen could either A) hold the ball up long-enough against 2-3 defenders or B) beat 2-3 defenders Spurs would push up numbers; otherwise the team was content to sit back. So much so that about 30 minutes into the game, the team dropped Son into the midfield to go from the 5-3-2 starting formation to the a 5-4-1 approach. Part of that move with Son was to help with the space on the Spurs left, but as much as anything it was to make the lines even harder to pass through.