Tottenham Hotspur produced a statement performance in the Champions League, defeating 10-man Borussia Dortmund 2-0 as Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke both scored their first goals in the competition.
The victory comes at a critical time for manager Thomas Frank, whose league form has been under the microscope, with last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to West Ham intensifying scrutiny.
Despite domestic struggles, Spurs maintained their perfect home record in Europe this season, moving up to fourth in the group standings with one game remaining and keeping their top-eight hopes alive.
The breakthrough came early, as Dortmund failed to clear Pedro Porro’s 13th-minute corner.
Wilson Odobert seized on the loose ball, delivering a low cross that Romero expertly steered past Gregor Kobel.
Dortmund’s troubles were compounded shortly after when Daniel Svensson was shown a red card following a VAR review of a high tackle on Odobert.
Tottenham continued to dominate, with Odobert playing a key role again in the 37th minute, cutting inside from the right before setting up Solanke.
The striker, making his first start of the season, managed a scrappy but effective finish off the far post to double Spurs’ lead.
Dortmund’s best opportunities were limited: Julian Ryerson curled a free-kick just wide, and Xavi Simons forced a smart save from Kobel.
Randal Kolo Muani also went close, only to see his low shot blocked by the goalkeeper, while Nico Schlotterbeck’s late effort was denied by a brilliant stop from Guglielmo Vicario.
The performance was a morale boost for Frank, who has faced increasing questions about his future. Spurs dominated the game in terms of expected goals (xG 2.23), taking 16 shots and restricting Dortmund to just one on target from five attempts overall.
Solanke’s goal also made him only the fifth player to score on a Champions League debut for Spurs, and just the second Englishman to do so, after Peter Crouch against Werder Bremen in September 2010.
For Dortmund, the loss dents their own top-eight aspirations and adds to their disciplinary woes, marking their 10th red card in Champions League history.
