Keeping manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur for the foreseeable future is key to the club’s ambitions of challenging for major honours in the seasons to come, defender Kyle Walker has said.
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With Spurs second, five points behind Leicester City, Pochettino took the view that he could not risk playing his strongest team at Dortmund and, rather predictably, his side were well beaten.
The prolific Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had one effort ruled out for offside before getting the breakthrough on the half-hour mark, rising above Ben Davies to head home a Marcel Schmelzer cross.
A goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a brace from Marco Reus helped the Bundesliga giants secure a 3-0 win ahead of the second leg next Thursday. “I’m very disappointed with the result but we didn’t have a very good day”.
For his 100th game in charge, Pochettino made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Arsenal last weekend as Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Erik Lamela and Mousa Dembele were left on the bench and Dele Alli was suspended. “It started okay but it was a really bad day for us”.
“We have a big challenge against Aston Villa on Sunday”. I want to play more games like these and for that you need to play in the Champions League.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides in European competition. In Spurs’ last 15 away matches, they have only lost twice and drawn four times – managing nine wins.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel admitted his side “dominated the match” but was not surprised by Pochettino’s team selection. I am at Borussia Dortmund.
Whether or not they can actually pull off an surprising Premier League title victory remains to be seen but it would appear that plans are already in place to strengthen in the summer.
“But we have our own goals”. And we need to put this idea in the mind of the players. I realise that it will not be easy, but is always in the back of my mind.
Whether it was a shot or a cross – it looked more like the former – the ball slid across the area and arrived at the feet of Castro, who struck the outside of the post with the angle against him.
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“We need to try and fight for the tie [in the second leg]”. I’m very happy with the performance.
