Tottenham Hotspur eased the pressure on head coach Thomas Frank with a convincing 2-0 victory over 10-man Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday night.
Spurs went into the fixture in need of a response after supporters turned on Frank following Saturday’s 2–1 home defeat to West Ham. However, the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was noticeably different as the hosts played with pace, intensity and purpose to secure a vital win.
Read Also: Champions League: Arsenal beat Inter to seal last 16 qualification
First-half goals from Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke proved enough to see off the German side and move Tottenham into a strong position to qualify automatically for the knockout stages. Spurs now sit fourth in the standings with one group fixture remaining.
Despite some visible frustration among fans at kick-off, reflected in empty seats in the upper tiers, Tottenham’s positive start quickly eased concerns of a fourth straight defeat. The hosts were rewarded when Romero turned in Wilson Odobert’s delivery from the right to give Spurs a deserved lead.
Tottenham continued to press aggressively, causing Dortmund problems throughout the first half. The visitors’ task became even harder when Daniel Svensson was sent off following a VAR review for a high-boot challenge on Odobert.
The second half lacked the same intensity from Tottenham, though they should have added a third when Randal Kolo Muani broke clear but fired straight at goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
At the other end, Guglielmo Vicario preserved the clean sheet by tipping over Nico Schlotterbeck’s header in stoppage time, ensuring a comfortable finish for the home side.
