HARRY KANE FIRED Tottenham Hotspur into the Champions League quarter-finals as his winning goal at Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s return leg sealed a 1-0 victory to wrap up a 4-0 aggregate success.
On Monday, Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino had demanded they “finish the job” after beating the Bundesliga leaders 3-0 in the first leg at Wembley.
His Spurs side delivered, soaking up everything Dortmund threw at them in a one-sided first half before Kane’s goal just after the break killed off the hosts’ spirited challenge.
This is the first time Tottenham are in the last eight of the Champions League since 2010/11 when they bowed out 5-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid.
Needing to score at least three goals, Dortmund packed their line-up with forwards as Mario Goetze, Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer – who have scored 30 goals between them – all started together for the first time this season.
Dortmund flew out of the traps, pounding the Spurs defence with 10 attempts in the first half alone, restricting the Londoners to a single Son Heung-min effort, and enjoying 70 percent possession.
The Germans harassed Spurs at every opportunity and had two clear chances in the opening 25 minutes as Alcacer fired over, while Marco Reus’ shot fell into Hugo Lloris’ grateful arms.
Spurs first real chance came with half an hour gone when Son got in behind his marker Marius Wolf, firing wide with the goal at his mercy.
Lloris then pulled off two saves at point-blank range before palming Goetze’s shot over the bar shortly before the break.
Having defended doggedly, Spurs took the lead when Kane scored with his first chance and only his team’s second of the game.
His run split the hosts’ centre-backs, as he latched onto Moussa Sissoko’s pass and curled his shot past Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki.
The video assistant referee confirmed Kane was onside and his goal on 49 minutes subdued the crowd at Signal Iduna Park who had hoped for a miracle.
The strike made Kane Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer in European competition with 24 goals.
With the tempo having dropped, Spurs Pochettino brought on Eric Dier, back from injury, to beef up the midfield in place of Harry Winks for the final 35 minutes.
Spurs seemed content to absorb Dortmund’s attacks while countering on the few opportunities they had.
In a bid to boost flagging confidence, Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre brought on Chelsea-bound Christian Pulisic and Danish forward Jacob Bruun Larsen for the final half an hour.
With Reus tiring, unsurprisingly after four weeks out with a thigh injury, Thomas Delaney came on for the Dortmund skipper with 17 minutes left.
Sissoko attempted to win a late penalty and Kane put the ball into Dortmund’s net but was flagged for offside as the game petered out and home fans started slipping away.
While Spurs go marching into the last eight, Dortmund can focus on trying to prevent Bayern Munich winning a seventh straight Bundesliga title with just goal difference separating the sides.
Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.
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Really tight between IRL and FRA but I’m going for IRL based on home advantage in the head to head. GS to boot.
Ireland. Slam. Sláinte.
A brief dip in form in the Autumn after 4 years of constant top quality rugby Inc summer Lions, NZ, SA tours but everyone is now fit and playing well. Competition for position with options left out of the squad if required for injuries. Nothing is certain but we are in a great position.
France.
@Carmine Lorenzo: Oh u of little faith
@Noel Lynn: Just being realistic. They have Dupont and Ntamack back. We were poor in the autumn. Faz isn’t here… Wouldn’t be surprised if we were 3rd or 4th. But hopefully I’m wrong!
@Carmine Lorenzo: ray ridge is effecting you lol but ya i hope your wrong too but france will be fave’s
Ireland, but I would have preferred Andy in the driving seat!!
With Dupont and Ntamack together again I just think they’ll be too strong.
I don’t Ireland will change things up too much with Farrell out and it feels like other teams have managed to counter our attack to some extent. Maybe the new direct around kick chaser will help though as I feel Ireland are good under the auld box kick
@Luke mc govern: we’ve beaten them before with Dupont and N’tamak. Yes they’ll be much stronger than the team we trashed in Marseille but I still just about fancy us.
@Luke mc govern: Yes ireland need to try few different things if they cant break teams down like kicking more
Ireland