Tottenham Hotspur will take on Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, desperate to get their season back on track.
Tottenham Hotspur have been quite poor in the Premier League, and they have crashed out of the domestic cup competitions as well ahead of the game vs Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The hosts will look to make their mark in the UEFA Champions League now. They have done well in the European competition, losing just one of their six matches so far. However, Thomas Frank’s men are coming into this game on the back of dreadful form, having lost three matches in a row.
Tottenham are winless in their last five matches across all competitions, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund unbeaten in their last six matches, and they have won three of their four most recent outings.
Niko Kovac’s men will look to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the North London side and pick up an away win here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are unavailable due to their long-term knee injuries. Ben Davies has a leg injury, and Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur have thigh problems. Micky van de ven is suspended, and Conor Gallagher is ineligible.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Borussia Dortmund, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero will start alongside Kevin Danso at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality alongside Archie Gray. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Lucas Bergvall will start in the attacking midfield role and look to link the midfield to the attack.
Wilson Odobert and Richarlison will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, with new addition Dominic Solanke being an option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Danso, Spence; Gray, Palhinha; Odobert, Bergvall, Richarlison; Kolo Muani
Borussia Dortmund
The away team will be without Cole Campbell for the UEFA Champions League clash this midweek. Borussia Dortmund will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Gregor Kobel in goal.
In the back three, Waldemar Anton will start alongside Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini. Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will start as the wing-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Marcel Sabitzer will start alongside Felix Nmecha, looking to add control and defensive cover to the side. Maximilian Beier will start in the attacking midfield role and look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third. Finally, Karim Adeyemi will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund alongside Serhou Guirassy.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson, Beier; Adeyemi, Guirassy
Key Stats
- Tottenham have won four of their last six matches against Borussia Dortmund. 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Tottenham are without a win in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Borussia Dortmund have lost ten of their 14 away UEFA Champions League matches in England (W3 D1), including losing seven of their most recent eight visits (W1). They have lost at the Etihad this season in a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.
- Tottenham’s most frequent source of goals in the UEFA Champions League this season has been own goals by the opposition (3), ahead of Randal Kolo Muani and Micky van de Ven who have scored two each.
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
The Borussia Dortmund striker is our key player to watch out for. Guirassy has done well for the German outfit, and he will look to take advantage of Tottenham’s defensive vulnerability. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well.
Since the start of last season, Guirassy has been directly involved in more goals (22) than any other player in the UEFA Champions League (G16 A6). His 16 goals are also the joint-most by any player in this period, along with Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. The North London club could struggle to keep him quiet here. Meanwhile, the visitors will need him to step up and produce in the final third if they want to pick up all three points.
Prediction
Tottenham 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Tottenham will be desperate for a victory here, but it will be a tough challenge for them. They are completely devoid of form and confidence, and the pressure is rising on Thomas Frank. Spurs are winless in their last five matches and they will struggle here.
On the other hand, the visitors have been very difficult to beat in the last few weeks. They will certainly fancy their chances here. Both teams prefer attacking football, and they are likely to get on the score sheet. However, Borussia Dortmund have more quality in the final third, and they should be able to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Niko Kovac and his men.