Big Match Breakdown: Tottenham v Dortmund
Published:
This game could shape Group H
Tottenham Hotspur begin their Champions League campaign with a tough fixture at home to Borussia Dortmund. Real Madrid have also been drawn in Group H, which means this game could already be key to both team’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Tottenham’s struggles at Wembley last season were a major factor in their early Champions League exit. They only won one group game at their temporary home and finished in third.
Spurs have lost to Chelsea and drawn with Burnley at Wembley so far this term. They need a big performance tonight.
The Coral News team have got all the info you need ahead of the game:
Head to Head
Dortmund ran out 5-1 aggregate winners when the two sides met for the first time in the Europa League two years ago.
Tottenham have considerably improved since then and mounted two title challenges in the Premier League. They have won two, drawn one and lost one of their opening four league fixtures this season.
Dortmund sit top of the Bundesliga after three games. However, they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Freiburg last weekend.
The Likely XIs
Mousa Dembele should come back in for Tottenham after being rested against the Toffees. Heung-Min Son is set to fill in for the suspended Dele Alli.
Danny Rose and Victor Wanyama are still out injured, so Mauricio Pochettino’s biggest selection choice could be whether to go with Kieran Trippier or Serge Aurier at right wing-back.
Dortmund boss Peter Bosz has plenty of injuries to contend with. Marco Reus, Julian Weigl, Raphael Guerriero, Andre Schurrle and most of his first-choice defence are all unavailable.
Key Battles
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will look to exploit the gaps behind the wing-backs with his pace. Ben Davies and Trippier will need to ensure they don’t leave Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld isolated in wide areas.
Spurs should look to expose the inexperience of Dan-Axel Zagadou at left-back. The 18-year-old has only made four first-team appearances to date.
Trippier’s raids on the right flank should create space for Son to cut inside.
Match Odds
Harry Kane bagged a brace against Everton on Saturday. The Spurs ace is 3/1 as First Goalscorer. There could be value in Heung-Min Son as an Anytime Goalscorer at 2/1 too.
Dortmund’s injuries could give Tottenham the edge here. Coral are offering 29/10 on Tottenham and Both Teams to Score.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
