Tottenham player ratings vs Borussia Dortmund as 9/10 star inspires 2-0 Champions League win

The full-time whistle has blown in the Champions League match between Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund, and it’s time for our player ratings.

Tottenham launch themselves up the League Phase table with a 2-0 Champions League win over Dortmund thanks to goals from Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Guglielmo Vicario – Got himself into a right pickle with the ball at his feet in the first half. Fortunately, he decided to kick it into touch rather than give the Dortmund forward a chance to steal it. Didn’t really have a save to make beyond a simple tip over in the closing moments. 6.

Pedro Porro – Delivered some wicked crosses in the first 45. Switched to a central midfield role in the second half after Bergvall’s injury. Not an ideal position for him, but he did a job. Had a golden, golden chance to shoot and score on the break in the 92nd minute, but waited far too long. 7.5.

Cristian Romero – Two goals in two games for the Spurs captain. At times, it feels like he can wander forward and score at will whenever he gets bored. His leadership has been questioned of late after so many suspensions, but today was a real captain’s performance from Romero. Kept things calm at the back but kept the tempo high in attack. 9.

Kevin Danso – A very calm and composed performance at the back from Danso. We all know Romero loves a foray forward (and with good reason). Danso may not have the pace of Van de Ven, but he covered superbly and won almost all of his individual battles. Spurs always look confident defending aerial balls when Danso plays. 7.

Destiny Udogie – Back in the Spurs starting XI for the first time since his return from injury. Looked nice and sharp in the first 45, both in defence and attack. He almost went through on goal with a sneaky run down the centre of the pitch. Tired a little in the second half, as expected. Did really well to get through the 90 minutes at a good level. 7.

Archie Gray – It has been hit or miss for Gray at times in the Tottenham pivot of late, but today was definitely a hit. The former Leeds man definitely has more of an eye to break lines with his passing than the likes of Palhinha, but knows when to keep it simple too. Superb work on and off the ball. 8.

Lucas Bergvall – Put in such a powerful and energetic performance in the first half, both disciplined and creative. Went down with an injury 10 minutes into the second and tried to play on, but couldn’t run through the pain. Yet another injury for Spurs. 7.5.

Xavi Simons – This man is a different animal on the European stage. Effortlessly creative, we saw Simons drop as deep as his own box to pick up the ball at times, while also finding delightfully dangerous pockets between the lines. On more than one occasion, he sent his teammates through on the attack with some of those elusive through balls Tottenham have been missing. Went close with a couple of good chances, but blazed one over and saw Kobel save the other. 8.5.

Djed Spence – Wow. Thomas Frank has often talked about how no Tottenham player has nailed down the left-wing position. In a strange plot twist, Djed Spence put in one of the best LW performances we have seen at Spurs all season. He skipped past his defenders for fun and looked like he might create something on almost every attack in the first half. 8.5.

Dominic Solanke – Sometimes, you need to score a goal off your bum to get you going again. For Solanke, it was a slice into his own standing foot. Aside from the goal itself, Solanke’s hold-up and link-up play was a real feature for Spurs, showing exactly what has been missing of late. 8.

Wilson Odobert – Set up the opener with a lovely driven cross into the box after an embarrassing air shot. Earned Tottenham a man advantage when he took a set of studs to the leg, sending Dortmund down to 10 men. Made it two assists in the first half alone when he rolled a delightful cross into the feet of Solanke. Looked a real livewire throughout on the right side of attack. 8.5.

Thomas Frank – You have to give the man credit. Under pressure and with barely a starting XI to cobble together, he coached a confident 2-0 Champions League win. 8.

Substitutes:

Jun’Ai Byfield – Replaced Bergvall to make his first-team debut after 62 minutes. Slotted in at right-back, with Porro going into midfield. The Spurs fans cheered almost every time he touched the ball. Certainly didn’t look out of place out there. 7.

Randal Kolo Muani – Replaced Solanke after 69 minutes. Had a good chance to burst into the box and get a shot away, but ran down a dead end. Definitely should have scored when Simons sent him through one-on-one minutes later. Lacked that killer instinct. 6.

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