Red card turns the tide as Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund

Tottenham Hotspur laid the foundations for a comfortable Champions League victory with a ruthless first half against Borussia Dortmund, before professionally seeing the game out after the break. An early goal, a decisive red card and clinical finishing put Spurs firmly in control, leaving Dortmund with too much to do despite a spirited second-half response.

Here is our detailed match report for the Champions League match between Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund.

First half

The hosts struck early to set the tone. In the 13th minute, a corner unsettled Dortmund’s defensive organisation and the ball eventually found its way to Wilson Odobert on the right. His delivery into the box was met by Cristian Romero, and the Spurs captain made no mistake from close range, firing home to give the English side a 1–0 advantage.

Dortmund briefly feared the worst soon after when Jobe Bellingham was seen using his hand inside the area. A VAR check followed, raising hopes among the home crowd, but the referee ultimately waved away penalty appeals, much to the relief of the travelling supporters.

There was at least a glimpse of Dortmund’s attacking threat when Gregor Kobel launched a superb long kick to release Karim Adeyemi on the counter. The German international looked poised to break clear, but he failed to get the ball under control and was quickly crowded out by recovering Tottenham defenders.

The opening stages were breathless, with both sides trading chances and errors in a frenetic first 20 minutes. However, the balance of the game shifted dramatically in the 25th minute. Dortmund full-back Daniel Svensson badly mistimed a challenge on Odobert, catching him high near the knee with his studs. After a VAR review, the referee had little choice but to produce a straight red card, leaving Borussia Dortmund with ten men for more than an hour.

From that moment on, Dortmund visibly struggled to cope. Tottenham cranked up the pressure, pinning the visitors deep in their own half and exploiting the extra space out wide. Their dominance was rewarded again in the 37th minute, when Odobert once more broke through down the right flank. His low cross into the box was perfectly weighted for Dominic Solanke, who simply had to stretch out a foot to turn the ball into the net and make it 2–0.

With the damage done, Dortmund’s priority shifted to survival. Reduced in numbers and under sustained pressure, their main objective became limiting further damage before the interval. They succeeded in that task, reaching half-time without conceding again, but with a mountain still to climb.

At the break, it was Tottenham firmly in control, leading 2–0 against a Dortmund side facing a long and difficult second half.

Second half

Trailing 2–0 and down to ten men, Borussia Dortmund emerged from the dressing room with renewed intent. Niko Kovač rolled the dice with offensive substitutions, and for a spell it paid off. Dortmund pushed higher up the pitch, moved the ball with more urgency and, at times, hardly looked like a side reduced in numbers.

Tottenham were briefly forced onto the back foot, but the Germans’ early second-half pressure proved difficult to sustain. As the tempo dropped, the London side gradually reasserted their authority and began to find space again, especially in transition.

Spurs came close to extending their lead around the 70-minute mark when Xavi Simons found himself in a promising position, but Gregor Kobel once again showed his class, producing a sharp save to deny the hosts a third goal.

From there on, Kobel was Dortmund’s standout performer. The Swiss goalkeeper single-handedly kept his team within touching distance, emerging victorious from two consecutive one-on-one situations against Tottenham attackers. Without his interventions, the scoreline could easily have grown more uncomfortable for the visitors.

Dortmund continued to search for a way back, introducing further attacking options in an effort to spark a late comeback. While their second-half display was a clear improvement on a disastrous opening 45 minutes, the earlier damage proved impossible to undo.

Tottenham, by contrast, managed the game with maturity, limiting risks and controlling possession when needed. Dortmund’s resistance faded as the final minutes approached, and Spurs comfortably closed out the contest.

In the end, Dortmund’s improved second-half showing offered little more than consolation. Tottenham’s first-half dominance and numerical advantage ensured the tie was effectively decided long before the final whistle.