Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Borussia Dortmund as 8.5/10 trio lead the way
The half-time whistle has blown in the Champions League match between Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund, and it’s time for our player ratings.
Tottenham Hotspur take a two-goal lead into the break as they look to leap up into the top eight of the Champions League table. Goals from Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke came either side of a straight red card for Dortmund.
Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:
Guglielmo Vicario – After not having a thing to do in the first 20 minutes, Vicario got into a right muddle with the ball at his feet and had to poke it out for a throw in an absolute panic moment. 5.
Pedro Porro – Got in time and time again down the right, especially after Dortmund went down to 10. Put in some wicked crosses that could have resulted in a goal or two on another day. Much more like his normal self when he doesn’t have to worry about defending as much. 7.
Cristian Romero – Once again, Tottenham rely on a goal from one of their two centre-backs as Romero opened the scoring with a routine tap-in after a set-play. Two goals in two games for the Spurs captain. 8.5.
Kevin Danso – A calm and confident display in the middle of defence, replacing the suspended Micky Van de Ven. Did especially well to cover when Romero stayed forward to cause problems after set-pieces. 7.
Destiny Udogie – Looked lively on his return to the Spurs starting XI. Surprisingly, he almost ended up through on goal in the 17th minute after a lovely lofted through ball down the centre of the pitch from Simons. 7.
Archie Gray – A very accomplished midfield display from Archie Gray. It’s easy to forget that this lad is still a teenager. Won the ball back well, covered the defence, and popped it off to the more creative players. Definitely has more of a line-breaking pass in him than the likes of Palhinha. 7.5.
Lucas Bergvall – A more reserved performance than we are used to from Bergvall as he played as one of two pivots. Dovetailed really nicely with Gray to open up passing lanes. They may not quite be ready as a duo yet, but it does feel like a glimpse into the future for Tottenham’s midfield. 7.5.
Xavi Simons – Took up some lovely pockets early in the game. No surprise that Simons looks lively against German opposition. For some reason, the Dutch midfielder plays with so much more freedom in Europe. Pulled the strings for Tottenham in the first 45. Deserved an assist when he whipped in a delightful packpost cross for Pedro Porro. Wasted a big chance to score when the ball fell kindly in the box on the half volley. 8.5.
Djed Spence – Started as a hybrid between left-wing and wing-back. Beat more defenders in the first half than many of Tottenham’s wingers have managed all season. It seemed like every time he matched his defender up, Spence had the beating of him. Even when they stuck two players on him! 8.5.
Dominic Solanke – It’s the little things that make a big difference. Solanke didn’t set the game alight, but his link-up play and movement in the box is so underrated – something Spurs have been sorely missing with Kolo Muani of late. It wasn’t his cleanest finish ever, but it might just be the perfect one to get him going again. 8.
Wilson Odobert – The airshot may have been shocking, but the resulting cross in wasn’t half bad, gifting Romero a tap-in. Was on the receiving end of a high challenge that resulted in a red card and gave Spurs the early upper hand. 7.5.
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