It was a contender for shock result of the season. Nobody had given Tottenham any hope after Saturday’s Premier League disaster here against West Ham, one which had come coated in vitriol for Thomas Frank. The fans had demanded his immediate removal as the manager only for him to stagger on.
The execution was stayed. But here were Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team, who had lost only three games all season, to apply the final cut. Frank could see the bones in his resources – 13 players unavailable, only 11 established outfielders from which to select.
And yet Spurs rebelled. Frank rebelled and when it was over, he could reflect on taking a huge step towards direct qualification into the Champions League’s last 16. It was a fourth home win out of four in the competition – and a fourth clean sheet.
Xavi Simons was the star turn and he had plenty of support around him, players mining the depths of their resolve. Cristian Romero opened the scoring, Dortmund had Daniel Svensson harshly sent off in the 25th minute and Dominic Solanke – on his comeback to the starting XI – scored the second, his first of an injury-ravaged campaign. What crisis?
It was difficult to look too far beyond the Frank plot line. The occasion had felt as though it was all about him, however much he hated that. It was about the players, he had insisted on Monday – those that were still standing from a Spurs point of view. Frank was forced to load his bench with six teenagers.
