UEFA Champions League 2018/19, Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Borussia Dortmund: 5 Talking Points

#2 Jan The Man

Jan Vertonghen was stellar for Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur's prospects appeared to be bleak without target man Harry Kane and midfield metronome Dele Alli, both of whom were ruled out through injury.

Responsibilities on the likes of Son and Christian Eriksen thereby broadened as they were expected to step up. And step up they did, but it was Vertonghen who snaffled the centre-stage and plonked his self upon it.

The towering Belgian was, first of all, played out of position. He isn't a left back, and certainly not a midfielder.

But manager Mauricio Pochettino's brave decision to play him on the left side of the midfield bore sweet fruits as the 31-year old looked at home and put on a talismanic display.

He initially struggled to get to grips with Dortmund's pace and guile, but soon found his footing.

In the second-half, Vertonghen fully liberated himself, and just 47 seconds into the restart, whipped in a perfectly-weighted cross for Son to nudge in. He was a reckoning force down that flank thereafter, as most of Tottenham's opportunities stemmed through him.

The Belgian won four tackles on the night and completed 86 percent of his passes, but frosted the cake with a goal of his own when he stormed inside the area by stealing clear of a Dortmund defence in slumber and slammed home Serge Aurier's cross from almost point-blank range.

It may not be his greatest goal, but the predatory instincts to read the pass and the cutting edge to finish are some attributes that would put many strikers to shame.

Truly a world-class performance from the Spurs defender.