UEFA Champions League 2025-2026: Tottenham beat 10-man Dortmund to move closer to last 16 spot

Tottenham Hotspur shook off the domestic gloom with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, which took the pressure off head coach Thomas Frank and put the side within touching distance of the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.

First-half goals from captain Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke put Tottenham in control against a desperately disappointing Dortmund side, who played with 10 men for three quarters of the match after Daniel Svensson’s red card.

Tottenham have won twice in eleven Premier League games at home this season, a run that has left Frank fighting for his job. But in the Champions League it was impeccable in North London, where we won four out of four games without conceding.

The latter lifted the side to fourth place ahead of Wednesday’s matches, meaning a win over Eintracht Frankfurt next week would seal a place in the top eight and progress to the last 16.

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Dortmund, which started the evening on eleven points with Tottenham, faces Inter Milan in its last match and will now probably have to take its chances in the play-offs.

“It will be very tough,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can. “I hope it will be better than today.”

TOXIC MOOD

When Tottenham suffered a final defeat to West Ham United this weekend, the mood turned toxic with home fans shouting ‘sacked in the morning’ at Frank.

There was plenty of speculation that the Dane would not even be in charge of the visit to Dortmund.

However, he came out fighting in his pre-match press conference and despite only eleven senior outfield players being available, his team responded against the Bundesliga side.

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Such was the ease with which Tottenham brushed aside Dortmund that Frank might wish he was facing European opposition every week, instead of the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham and West Ham who have caused him so much pain.

«I think in the first half you felt it could be a special European night. The fans were absolutely fantastic and really got behind the team for that, so happy about that,» said Frank, whose only defeat in the competition was a 5-3 loss to holders Paris St. Germain.

«Of course it would be great to (finish in the top eight). First Burnley, then we can concentrate on Frankfurt.»

Tottenham have now won all five of their Champions League matches against Dortmund, including both last-16 matches in 2019 when they reached the final.

A repeat is unlikely, but Tottenham won the Europa League again last season under former manager Ange Postecoglou, despite finishing seventeenth in the Premier League.

Frank’s recovered side, 14th in the Premier League, made a confident start on Tuesday and took the lead inside 15 minutes.

Wilson Odobert swung and missed a volley from a clearance, but then sent a ball into the area that Romero met with a sharp finish from close range.

Dortmund’s support was great but the team was soft and when Svensson clumsily left his studs in Odobert’s shin and referee Glenn Nyberg was advised to watch a VAR replay, the Swede predictably waved the red card at his compatriot.

Solanke was handed his first start since May after ankle surgery and he marked his first Champions League appearance since 2017/18 with his first goal in the competition.

It wasn’t a classic, but he didn’t care as he whipped in Odobert’s low cross from point-blank range, the ball bouncing past both legs before curling in.

With a 20th win from the last 24 home matches in UEFA competitions under their belt, Tottenham fell in the second half, although home keeper Guglielmo Vicario made one notable save, tipping over Nico Schlotterbeck’s header.

Published on January 21, 2026