UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
ROUND OF 16 (2nd Leg)
TUESDAY 5th MARCH, 2019
(9pm C.E.T.)
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(0)

Aggregate score - Spurs win 4-0

Spurs scorer:-
Kane, 49

Attendance:- 66,099

Referee:- Danny Makkelie
Assistants:- Mario Diks & Hessel Steegstra
Fourth official:- Kevin Blom
V.A.R:- Pol van Boekel
Assistant V.A.R:- Kamphuis Jochem
(All officials from Netherlands)

Teams:-
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3) Burki; Wolf (sub, Bruun Larsen, 62), Akanji, Weigl, Diallo; Reus (Capt.) (sub Delaney, 74), Witsel, Gotze; Sancho, Alcacer, Guerreiro (sub Pulisic, 62)

Subs not used:- Hitz (g), Zagadou, Hakimi, Schmelzer

No bookings

Tottenham (3-4-1-2):- Lloris (Capt); Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen ; Aurier, Sissoko, Winks (sub Dier, 55), Davies; Eriksen (sub Rose, 83); Son (sub Lamela, 71), Kane

Subs not used:- Gazzaniga (g), Wanyama, Llorente, Lucas Moura.

No bookings

Auf Wiedersehen Dortmund!

Picture courtesy of Paul Throp & Mikala Butcher

It truly was another of those great European nights for Tottenham Hotspur and their fans. The fans offered a great atmosphere. The team offered a stalwart defensive performance, with a string of great saves by Hugo Lloris, and of course "King Harry" (much revered and genuinely feared by the German press) scored a truly thunderous goal which put the final nail in the BVB coffin, deflating the German team and its fans for the remainder of the game.

Such was my elevated position (two rows from the highest spot in the stadium) that I could not see the upper part of the pre-match logo offered by the famous "yellow wall" at Signal_Iduna Park. I could not make out the numbers of the German players, and I certainly cannot do better than offer you this report (with many thanks) by John Ellis, who i think says all that we need to know regarding a wonderful Spurs occasion:-

Tottenham Hotspur marched into the last eight of the Champions League!

They didn’t just tip-toe or limp through but swaggered through in some style by knocking the Bundesliga leaders out 4-0 on aggregate and in so doing inflicted on them their first home defeat of the season! That is the magnitude of the achievement!

It was a truly magical European night which will go down in the pantheon of illustrious Tottenham Hotspur European glory glory nights!

Lloris, Vertonghen and Sissoko stood tall amongst giants. Then there is the redoubtable Harry Kane who smashed in yet another special goal to become Spurs all time leading goal scorer in Europe!To Spurs took their place at the top table of European football and joined the elite group of teams fighting for this season’s Champions League trophy.

Suddenly, the latter stages now beckon and the club along with their fantastic fans have not only the excitement of an imminent return to N17 but the prospect of a mouth-watering Champions League draw to look forward to and the tantalising prospect of the tie being played at the new stadium!

Sometimes the actual events in a match don’t matter a jot. Not that long ago Spurs came here and were trounced 3-0. In all honesty that night, the powerful majesty of the stadium, the vociferous support and opposition on the pitch seemed light years in the distance from Spurs.

Last season the gap had been more than closed but a year further on and Spurs knocked Dortmund out of a Champions League last 16 tie 4-0 over the two legs....some role reversal! (Ed:- Spurs have now beaten Borussia Dortmund at home and away in four consecutive games)

The match and particularly first half weren’t easy though. In the 11th minute Sanchez made what seemed a catastrophic error in his own penalty area but as in the North London Derby, Vertonghen laid his body on the line in making a superb last ditch tackle.

In the 21st minute Lloris made an excellent save but Dortmund were enjoying far too much possession and were putting Spurs under great pressure. One goal and the belief and momentum it could bring felt close...

Then in the 31st minute Son was put through (by Eriksen) with just the keeper to beat! But in receiving a push in the back he shot wide. Normal service was quickly resumed and in the 34th minute Davies did well to block a follow up after another good Lloris save. The resultant corner brought a volleyed effort which deflected wide. The follow on corner produced a magnificent diving save from Lloris. It felt one way traffic and at times Dortmund v Lloris.

the heroic Spurs captain was again called into action in the 37th minute. It was proving hard to stem the tide...The 44th minute brought yet another Lloris save.

The half time whistle blew with the fans rightly singing the praises of Hugo Lloris. Vertonghen and Sissoko had also performed heroics in the face of the Dortmund onslaught. The screen showed 11 shots to 1 in favour of the home side.

In the 49th minute, the night took a decisive swing in favour of Tottenham. Kane latched onto a fine through ball from Sissoko and rifled his shot into the top right hand corner to surely put Spurs into an unassailable 4-0 aggregate lead!!! What a goal; What a player; What a man; And he’s one of our own you know! Ed:- Kane's goal made him the leading Spurs goalscorer in European Football beating previous record holders Jermain Defoe and Martin Chivers)

Dortmund continued to press but the importance of the away goal had taken away some of their intensity. They now needed five but at times it looked more likely that Spurs would score a second.

The quite staggering scoreline of Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax came through...A result to send shock waves throughout Europe.

The Dortmund fans were excellent and only started to drift away in the closing ten minutes at which point Spurs fans started to wave goodbye with the amusing song of Auf Weidersehen, Auf Weidersehen, Auf Weidersehen to the departing home fans! The song will live long in the memory.

In the last minute with Spurs fans in party mood, Lloris made yet another save to keep his clean sheet and the Tottenham lead intact. A wonderful flowing move in the last minute seemed for all the world to create a goal for Lamela but the defender just got there first to head clear for a corner.

The final whistle blew and Spurs had not only prevailed but marched triumphantly into the Champions League quarter finals - the business end of the cup with the big ears!

A word for the Dortmund players and fans who as bitterly disappointed as they must have felt stayed in salute of each other after the match. No hint of boos just great support and respect for each other.

Watching football in Germany is such a more positive experience than elsewhere across Europe. Opposing fans drink, eat and sing together. The Police are there but not there and know how to adopt a mature approach to supporters. Spanish, Italian, Belgian police could learn a lot from the German approach.

And so on to Southampton...Hopefully this result will put Spurs season back on track so that nights like these can be enjoyed again next season!

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