Son Heung-min, 26 from Chuncheon, South Korea, is taking over the mantle of Spurs top man which is great news for the club.
This season, when Son scores, boss Mauricio Pochettino knows he can kick back and relax as Spurs haven’t lost when Son’s found the back of the net.
By Marc Gingell
Match Summary
Tottenham Hotspur 3 Borussia Dortmund 0
Son Heung-min 46
Jan Vertonghen 82
Fernando Llorente 85
Venue: Wembley Stadium. Attendance 71,214
Team News
Spurs, still without injured key players Harry Kane and Deli Alli, lined up with Toby Alderweireld back in a three-man defence with Jan Vertonghen as left wing-back. Up front, Pochettino gave Lucas Moura the nod instead of Fernando Llorente.
Dortmund were missing key internationals Marco Reus, Paco Alcacer, and Julian Weigl through injury and illness. They included young English talent 18 year old Jadon Sancho.
First Half
On six minutes Spurs Davidson Sanchez powered a header into the Dortmund box where Moure cushioned the ball with his right knee and fired a right foot volley just past the post. But soon two lapses of Spurs concentration nearly set goals for Dortmund.
In the 14th minute, Juan Foyth lost possession on the end of Spurs box which let in Christian Pulisic. Pulisic, 20 and from Hershey, Pennsylvania in the United States, is now a Chelsea player on loan to Dortmund until the end of the season. Hugo Lloris got down well to save the £58M midfielders left foot shit. Six minutes Harry Winks poor touch on the edge of Spurs box set up Dortmund’s Belgium international Axel Witsel. This time Lloris made a good save to his right.
In the 44th minute, Lloris kept Spurs in the game with a flying one-handed save to his right. Dan-Axel Zagadou, Dortmund’s 19 year old left-back, up for a corner, rose above Foyth and planted a header that looked destined for the corner. Fortunately for Spurs Foyth had managed to take some power off the header which allowed Lloris to save.
Second Half
Spurs made an electric start to the second half when, in the 46th minute, Vertonghen put in a delicious cross from the left. He curled the ball around the back of Zagadou and away from keeper Roman Burki to Son just outside the six yard box. A textbook cross that Son, in mid-air, caressed into the Dortmund net with the inside of his right foot. Burki had no chance.
So a goal from Son but Pochettino couldn’t kick back. Spurs needed at least one more to take to Dortmund for the second leg and Vertonghen, having a fine game, supplied it in the 82nd minute. Spurs Ivory Coast defender, Serge Aurier, put in a cross from the right where Vertonghen volleyed home with his left foot.
Three minutes later and Spurs were celebrating goal number three as substitute Llorente, who’d only been on the pitch for one minute after replacing Moure, headed home Christian Eriksen’s corner.
Dortmund nearly scored a much needed away goal in the 90th + 1 minute when substitute Raphael Guerreiro’s thunderbolt flashed just past the post.
Massive Spurs Performance
Pochettino called this a massive Spurs performance but it’s only half time and his team will need another special display for their visit to Dortmund on March 5th. He will know that Spurs could have 2-0 down at half time.
In similar fashion to the Premier League Spurs are not expected to win the Champions League. The bookies have them at 16/1 and they’re 25/1 to win the Premier League. But they have the Son good feel factor. He’s smiling and scoring.That’s his 9th goal in 11 games against Dortmund. He’s also been on fire in the Premier League recently.
With Kane and Alli, expected back early next month, who’s to say Spurs can’t go on and create a massive upset in both competitions.
And Son, who is 25/1, to pick up the PFA Player of the Year!
Player ratings
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Aurier (8), Alderweireld (8), Sanchez (7), Foyth (7), Vertonghen (9), Winks (7), Sissoko (7), Eriksen (7), Lucas (7), Son (8)
Subs: Llorente (6), Lamela (N/A), Wanyama (N/A).
Dortmund: Burki (5), Hakimi (5), Zagadou (5), Toprak (5), Diallo (5), Witsel (5), Delaney (5), Dahoud (5), Sancho (5), Pulisic (5), Gotze (5)
Subs: Schmelzer (5), Guerreiro (5), Larsen (5)
Man of the match: Jan Vertonghen
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Esp)
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