Tottenham Hotspur vs. Borussia Dortmund
- What: Champions League last-16 first leg
- When: Wednesday 13 February
- Where: Wembley Stadium, London
- Start time: 8pm GMT
- TV channel and live stream: BT Sport 2
- Radio coverage: BBC Radio 5 live
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen believes the north London side can beat Borussia Dortmund over two legs and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2011.
Spurs were knocked out of the league cup by Chelsea and the FA Cup by Crystal Palace last month but have found their form with four league victories on the bounce.
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Speaking ahead of tonight’s intriguing last-16 first leg clash against German side Dortmund, Belgian Vertonghen said: “We can beat anyone. We have shown that last year. Over two games we were the better team against Real Madrid [four points from two group games] who were the eventual winners of the trophy.
“That is why it was a shame we could not do better last year because we felt we should have done better. That is why everyone has the feeling we can do it this year.”
The BBC reports that Vertonghen is likely to play left-back tonight and could face Dortmund’s English winger Jadon Sancho.
With eight goals and ten assists for the Bundesliga leaders this season the 18-year-old will be aiming to impress at Wembley.
Sancho’s team-mate Thomas Delaney said: “Jadon is a big, big talent, with talent comes opportunities and he has them for sure. But he is still 18 years old and he has done amazing. He is not where he is supposed to be, he is a rough diamond, he will get there.
“We try to keep him on the ground because he has a big, big future in front of him and he will do great things, but it takes hard work.”
Team news and possible starting XIs
Tottenham team news
Eric Dier and Erik Lamela missed Sunday’s league win against Leicester but the pair have returned to training this week and are available to play.
Left-back Danny Rose will have his shin injury assessed before the match. However, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed the England international won’t be able to start.
While Dele Alli (hamstring), Ben Davies (groin) and Harry Kane (ankle) remain on the injury list, the trio will be hopeful of returning for the second leg on Tuesday 5 March.
Dortmund team news
The London Evening Standard reports that Dortmund will be without Marco Reus (thigh), Julian Weigl (illness), Paco Alcacer (shoulder) and Lukasz Piszczek (foot) for the trip to London.
Mario Gotze is likely to play up front while Chelsea’s new signing Christian Pulisic (who is on loan at Dortmund) will be one to watch.
Possible starting XIs
How the teams could line up tonight at Wembley Stadium, according to the London Evening Standard.
- Tottenham possible starting XI: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Sissoko, Winks, Lamela, Eriksen, Son, Lucas
- Borussia Dortmund possible starting XI: Burki, Schmelzer, Toprak, Diallo, Hakimi, Delaney, Witsel, Sancho, Pulisic, Guerreiro, Gotze
TV, live stream and radio coverage
The Champions League last-16 clash at Wembley will be shown live on BT Sport 2. The match kicks off at 8pm and BT Sport’s TV and live stream coverage begins at 7pm. BBC Radio 5 live will provide radio commentary.
Predictions
Charlie Nicholas, Sky Sports: “Both teams will open up and attack well. Dortmund will not be as adventurous - they will sit in and counter-attack which will be dangerous for Spurs, and they will choke them and try to boss midfield. Prediction: 1-1.”
London Evening Standard: “Injuries and illness have hit both teams heavily, but don’t expect a cautious approach in light of this. Heung-min Son has arguably never been in better form and Jadon Sancho will no doubt relish the chance to further underline his quality back on English soil. These two teams scored a similar number of goals during the group stage, but Spurs conceded ten while Dortmund shipped only two. An entertaining draw could be on the cards. Prediction: 2-2.”
Squawka: “Spurs are in decent form at the moment but may find things a little tougher against Dortmund. Both sides will need to provide strong defensive performances to nullify the oppositions attacking threat, with the likes of Son and Eriksen pulling the strings for Spurs, with Sancho and Gotze doing the same for Dortmund. Can see this being a tight one but have a feeling Spurs will nick it and take a positive result back to Dortmund for the second leg. Prediction: Spurs 2-1 Dortmund.”
Spurs vs. Dortmund betting odds
Prices according to Oddschecker, as of 13 February.
Match betting
- Tottenham to win: 6/5
- Dortmund to win: 13/5
- Draw: 13/5
Tie betting
- Dortmund to qualify: 5/6
- Tottenham to qualify: 11/10
Champions League winner odds
- Dortmund to win the Champions League: 25/1
- Tottenham to win the Champions League: 33/1
Last-16 results, fixtures and TV guide
Tuesday 12 February results
- Manchester United 0 Paris Saint-Germain 2
- AS Roma 2 FC Porto 1
Wednesday 13 February fixtures
- Ajax vs. Real Madrid (8pm, live on BT Sport 3)
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Borussia Dortmund (8pm, live on BT Sport 2)
Tuesday 19 February fixtures
- Liverpool vs. Bayern Munich (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra)
- Lyon vs. Barcelona (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra)
Wednesday 20 February fixtures
- Atlético Madrid vs. Juventus (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra)
- FC Schalke vs. Manchester City (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra)
Last-16 second leg fixtures Tuesday 5 March
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Tottenham Hotspur (8pm, live on BT Sport)
- Real Madrid vs. Ajax (8pm, live on BT Sport)
Wednesday 6 March
- FC Porto vs. Roma (1-2 on aggregate; 8pm, live on BT Sport)
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United (2-0 on aggregate; 8pm, live on BT Sport)
Tuesday 12 March
- Juventus vs. Atlético Madrid (8pm, live on BT Sport)
- Manchester City vs. FC Schalke (8pm, live on BT Sport)
Wednesday 13 March
- Barcelona vs. Lyon (8pm, live on BT Sport)
- Bayern Munich vs. Liverpool (8pm, live on BT Sport)
