Tottenham secured a vital 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League league phase, easing pressure on manager Thomas Frank. Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke scored in the first half, with Dortmund's Daniel Svensson sent off early. The win moves Spurs into fourth place, strengthening their position for automatic qualification to the last 16.
Tottenham Hotspur hosted Borussia Dortmund at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 20, 2026, in a crucial Champions League league-phase match. Kick-off was at 8pm UK time, with Spurs desperate for a morale boost after a 2-1 Premier League defeat to West Ham days earlier, which intensified scrutiny on Danish manager Thomas Frank.
Spurs started confidently, dominating the first half. A slick move led to Wilson Odobert's shot being cleared only to Romero, who sidefooted home the opener, his first Champions League goal. Minutes later, VAR reviewed a high boot by Svensson on Odobert, resulting in a straight red card for the Dortmund midfielder. This numerical advantage fueled Tottenham, and Solanke—making his first start since May last year—got the final touch on Odobert’s cross for the second goal, also his debut CL strike.
Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga and unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 games across competitions, struggled. They had lost just three matches all season but conceded 10 goals in away CL fixtures this term.
The second half saw rain pour down, and Dortmund improved after substitutions including Julian Ryerson and Emre Can. Substitute Ryerson's free-kick whistled past the post, and Nico Schlotterbeck's header was tipped over by Guglielmo Vicario. Spurs faced a setback when Lucas Bergvall was injured and substituted, leading to 17-year-old Jun’ai Byfield's debut. Xavi Simons shone, forcing saves from Gregor Kobel and creating chances, including one for Randal Kolo Muani.
Despite Dortmund's pressure, Tottenham held firm for their fourth home CL clean sheet this season. They remain unbeaten in four competitive meetings with Dortmund.
Post-match, Frank praised the performance: "I’m very happy that we won the game... especially first half. We scored two good goals and kept a clean sheet." Solanke added: "It’s been a long time so to be back out here and get the win, it meant the world... to get my first goal in it.”
The result places Tottenham fourth in the standings, two points inside the top eight, while Dortmund sit 11th, one point outside. Spurs' next CL game is away to Eintracht Frankfurt; a draw may suffice for top-eight finish. They face Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
