Tottenham v Dortmund preview: all you need to know
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Article summary
For the second time in as many seasons, Tottenham host Dortmund at Wembley – here's all you need to know.
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- FOLLOW LIVE BUILD-UP FROM LONDON
- Pochettino: "We have amazing motivation"
- Favre: "It'll be tough"
- Kane, Alli absent for Spurs
- Reus, Weigl, Paco Alcácer, Piszczek out
- VAR in use for round of 16
Reporter's view (Daniel Thacker, UEFA.com): This tie between upwardly mobile teams is likely to be decided by which of Mauricio Pochettino and Lucien Favre is better able to compensate for the absence of top attackers – Harry Kane and Dele Alli for Spurs, Marco Reus and Paco Alcácer for Dortmund. Tottenham have coped well enough so far, finding different ways to win, while Heung-Min Son's record against BVB – eight goals in ten games – and current form also augur well for the hosts; expect Pochettino's side to take a narrow lead to Germany.
Possible line-ups
Tottenham: Lloris; Trippier, Sánchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen; Lucas, Son, Lamela
Out: Kane (ankle), Alli (hamstring), Davies (groin)
Doubtful: Rose (shin)
Misses next game if booked: Alderweireld, Lamela, Son
Dortmund: Bürki; Hakimi, Toprak, Diallo, Schmelzer; Witsel, Delaney; Sancho, Philipp, Guerreiro; Götze
Out: Alcácer (shoulder), Akanji (hip), Piszczek (foot), Reus (thigh), Weigl (illness)
Misses next game if booked: Weigl
Key battle
Eriksen v Witsel and Delaney: Son's anticipated head-to-head with ex-Leverkusen team-mate Ömer Toprak will be intriguing, but this first leg will more likely be settled in midfield. Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney's partnership has been pivotal to Dortmund's charge to the Bundesliga summit, though the pair may have their work cut out trying to stifle Christian Eriksen. When the Dane plays well, Spurs follow suit; if he gets on top, his craft and guile could prove decisive.
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Form guide
Tottenham
Latest: Tottenham 3-1 Leicester City (10/02)
Form: WWWLLWLWWW (all competitions, most recent first)
Dortmund
Latest: Dortmund 3-3 Hoffenheim (09/02)
Form: DDDWWWLWWW
Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham manager
We know this competition is going to be tough. We are facing a team top of the German league, a really competitive team. With all respect to our opponents, I am a person who always believes we can beat any team. We have amazing motivation to play because it's the last 16 of the Champions League. Everyone wants to play, everyone is excited but we're not thinking about last year. We just need to be ready to compete in our best way.
Lucien Favre, Dortmund coach
We need to forget about the game against Hoffenheim [Dortmund wasted a 3-0 lead to draw]. We have to keep the positives in mind ahead of a match like this. They're third in England, which tells you all you need to know. It'll be tough. We're concentrating on this game and then on the Bundesliga. Tottenham are without Kane and Alli; we're missing players too. We're not going to talk about the players who aren't here.