Tottenham booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
It was a mature, professional performance from the Londoners, who bounced back from three disappointing results in the Premier League at the Westfalenstadion by showcasing their defensive resilience.
Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino plotted and executed a defensive masterclass in Germany as Spurs stopped a wholehearted Dortmund side from finding a way back into the tie.
Harry Kane was the hero on the night, scoring the winner and putting Tottenham 4-0 up on aggregate. But the contributions of Spurs’ defenders were just as important.
It is rare that Pochettino opts for a gameplan designed, predominantly, to nullify Spurs’ opponents. And so here are the five factors Tuesday night’s masterplan depended upon, starting with…
1. Back three foiled Alcacer’s threat
Paco Alcacer missed the first leg but was back leading the line as Lucien Favre put out an ultra-attacking XI to assault Spurs from the off. It worked to an extent as Dortmund threatened the Tottenham goal a number of times in the first half.
However, as Spurs settled into the game, Pochettino’s choice of a back three began to pay dividends. On a few occasions, Dortmund attempted to play Alcacer in over the top, but Davinson Sanchez’s presence in the middle of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld gave Alcacer no chance of getting clean through,
Sanchez made more clearances (8) and blocks (2) than any other player, proving a convincing match for Alcacer’s threat. And if ever he became exposed, the Colombian had the imperious Vertonghen and Alderweireld either side to lend a hand.
2. Aurier and Davies dropped in to make a back five
Pochettino has sometimes been criticised in the past for setting up with an attacking system regardless of the opposition. Manchester City, more than any other side, have often exploited Pochettino’s stubbornness in that regard.
But every now and then, the Argentinian swallows his pride and recognises the need to drop slightly deeper and simply block, clear and repeat. We saw it against Real Madrid at Wembley last season, and we saw it again on Tuesday night.
As such, Serge Aurier and Ben Davies played as full-backs more than wing-backs. Only Sanchez (8) made more clearances than Aurier (6, level with Vertonghen) while Davies made 5 clearances and blocked more crosses (2) than any other player.
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3. Son switched to the left early on
Tottenham’s starting formation was a variation of 3-4-1-2, with Christian Eriksen floating in behind Kane and Son Heung-min. That quickly changed when Pochettino noticed his side were far too open.
As mentioned above, Aurier and Davies dropped deeper – as did Eriksen – leaving Son and Kane rather isolated up front. Dortmund were finding plenty of room down Spurs’ left, so Pochettino instructed Son to drop in on the flank to help Davies.
The plan worked. Not only did Davies receive more support, Tottenham suddenly had a rigid line of four midfielders in front of the back five. Kane remained isolated at times, but defending was the priority so it hardly mattered. Plus, the striker still made his chance count when his chance eventually came.
4. Sissoko provided an out
The visitors were under heavy pressure in first half. When they did manage to clear the ball, Kane sometimes struggled to hold it up, such was Dortmund’s eagerness in the press. As a result, Spurs needed a way to bring the ball out when under pressure rather than clearing it long.
Moussa Sissoko stepped up as he so often has this season. The Frenchman was responsible for recovering possession – he made 11 ball recoveries, at least five more than any other Tottenham player – and helping his side push higher up the pitch.
Of course, Sissoko also provided the assist for the crucial goal, a pinpoint pass to Kane who made no mistake. Sissoko is proving to be a big-game player for Spurs. Impressive stuff for a man considered a total flop just six months ago.
5. Luck, Lloris and last-ditch heroics
Jan Vertonghen had absolutely NO RIGHT to deny Marco Reus from there
A miraculous goal-saving tackle! pic.twitter.com/hWNtKRuRgQ
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 5, 2019
The perfect defensive performance is a near-impossible feat. Indeed, Tottenham relied on a bit of luck to get them through the first half; Dortmund were splitting the lines far too easily at times before Pochettino tinkered with his system.
But, to an extent, teams make their own luck with quality: Hugo Lloris made a string of fine saves, Vertonghen produced an incredible last-ditch tackle to prevent a certain Marco Reus goal; and Davies made a crucial block at 0-0.
With the Yellow Wall behind them, Dortmund were bound to find a way through Spurs and create chances, but Pochettino’s men had other ideas.
The post How Pochettino’s rare masterclass shut down a Borussia Dortmund side in ultra-attack mode appeared first on Squawka News.
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