Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Borussia Dortmund: 3 Reasons why Spurs came out on top

Heung-min Son continued his rich vein of form as Spurs defeated a strong Dortmund team at the Wembley. Harry Kane’s injury which was seen as a big roadblock for Spurs to achieve their targets this season has been forgotten off as the players have responded to Pochettino’s call for increased intensity.

Jadon Sancho provided a glimpse of a star football player in the making and Gareth Southgate would be the happiest man coming out of Wembley. Vertonghen and Llorente scored two late goals to give Spurs an added advantage going into the away leg.

Son was appreciated by his manager in the post-match press conference as Spurs always win when he scores. He is currently the most influential player in the Premier League according to the stats.

Here are the three reasons why Spurs came out on top in this tough encounter.

#1 Controlling the midfield

Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks dominated the midfield for Spurs

Moussa Sissoko, who just 1 year ago was considered as surplus to requirement has taken his game to the next level. His partnership with Harry Winks in the middle of the park gave Tottenham the much-needed control in the game to dictate play.

Winks is a no-nonsense player. His passing accuracy is extraordinary though he seldom creates chances for the forward men. He played a simple, yet effective game and gave the ball to Sissoko to unleash those physical runs at the opponents.

Pochettino deserves praise for trusting Sissoko’s abilities and giving him chance to prove his talent. Dele Alli was missed throughout the game but Sissoko more than compensated for the loss by contributing to the attacking play alongside Eriksen. It was a huge setback for Dortmund as at 1-0 the tie looked to be in their favor but the last 2 goals completely changed the scenario.

#2 Son Heung-Min

Pochettino’s side have had their share of critics over the past 2-3 weeks after their failure to compete well in big matches and also taking cup competitions lightly. When they were knocked out of the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea, many said it’s the same old story where Spurs fail to perform during the business end of the season.

But Son Heung-Min has changed the scenario completely. He has carried the team on his shoulders and has taken over the mantle of scoring crucial goals from Harry Kane. His 46th-minute finish from a Vertonghen cross had class written all over it and Son deserves to win the Spurs player of the year award this season.

The first goal really calmed the nerves and after that Spurs had more control over the proceedings. Son will be even more important in the away leg as his work ethic and industry will be required for Spurs to absorb the pressure exerted by an angry Dortmund team.

#3 Dortmund’s inability to capitalize on the early momentum

Dortmund failed to convert good opportunities into a goal

A game-changing error by Foyth gave Dortmund initiative in the first half but they failed to capitalize. Pulisic and Sancho troubled the full backs constantly, and in the first half it looked like Dortmund would have it easy over the two legs.

Jadon Sancho was in scintillating form and showed his ability to get past his man on several occasions. His link up with Pulisic and Gotze was a treat to watch in the first half.

But Favre’s men failed to convert those phases of momentum into something tangible, which allowed Spurs to get back into the game. Pochettino would be wary of the threat offered by the Dortmund front three and there are chances Reus would be fit for the away leg which would put Spurs’ defence into more pressure. Christian Eriksen was completely missing from the match as Dortmund tried to play the ball wide on every possible chance to bypass the Spurs midfield.