Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League, taking them to fourth in the group phase on 14 points.
Thomas Frank’s side have struggled in the Premier League this season, currently sitting 14th on 27 points after 22 games.
But despite their domestic struggles, Spurs find themselves in good stead in Europe, having won all four of their home games in the competition this season.
Tottenham are also the only team in the competition yet to concede a goal at home, having beaten Villarreal 1-0, FC Copenhagen 4-0, Slavia Prague 3-0 and now Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
In this article, we’ll cover
Spurs approach
While the game was still 11v11, Tottenham were looking to build with a 4-2 base, leaving four on the last line against the Dortmund back five.
With Xavi Simons operating more in the left half space, Spurs were willing to leave the right half space vacated, in an attempt to provoke one of the Dortmund back five to jump out, affording space for Wilson Odobert and Pedro Porro to work in.
With Odobert starting wide on the right, he was able to drift inside to occupy the inside right channel, which would open up wide attacking lanes for Porro to burst into.
Once Dortmund went down to 10-men, Tottenham started to fill all five attacking corridors with Porro and Odobert interchanging between holding the width and the right half space.
From here, Frank’s side were able to cruise towards victory, having held 62% possession in the first half, generating 1.68 expected goals and taking 11 shots.
In the second half, Spurs were able to sit in and protect their two-goal lead, having 45% possession despite having the man advantage, but still limiting Dortmund to just 0.38 xG.
Wilson Odobert shines
Odobert was electric on the right, constantly looking to combine with Porro and create chances for his team, making four key passes and creating two big chances in the match.
The Frenchman also completed four of his seven dribble attempts, isolating Bensebaini in 1v1s in wide areas and taking full advantage of these moments.
Odobert’s second assist was a great example of his wing play on the night, combining with Porro for a give and go to arrive in space at the byline.
He completed the move with a ball across the box, which Dominic Solanke bundled over the line for his first goal of the season.
Xavi Simons masterclass
Another top performance was Simons in midfield, who really took control of the game, dropping into pockets of space to receive and progress play.
The Dutchman completed one of his two dribble attempts, had 68 touches in the game and made one key pass, also creating a big chance and ending the game with 0.34 expected assists.
Simons was constantly looking to come towards the ball, combine in tight spaces with his teammates and make a difference, which is the best version of him.
Pedro Porro midfield experiment
Porro picked up man of the match for his display, which started at right-back but ended in a new role for the Spaniard.
The 26-year-old was key in the early parts of the game combining with Odobert down the right, but found himself moved to midfield when Lucas Bergvall was subbed in the 62nd minute.
Porro joined Archie Gray in the double pivot, looking to get on the ball and progress play through the middle with quick combinations and bounce passes.
While this is a role Porro has the qualities to carry out, his passing range is better suited to full-back areas where he can face forwards and arrive in the final third to deliver crosses into the box.