Tottenham have reasons to be both cheerful and fearful ahead of Champions League last-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund
- Tottenham hold 3-0 lead before Champions League clash at Borussia Dortmund
- Borussia Dortmund have won only one of last seven games in all competitions
- However they did beat three-time finalists Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the group stage
- Sportsmail looks at what history says ahead of the last-16 second-leg tie
Tottenham head into their Champions League last-16 second-leg clash against Borussia Dortmund holding a comfortable 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Son Heung-min, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente at Wembley.
While 20 of the 23 teams to have won a Champions League knockout first-leg game by three or more goals have progressed, in the group stage Dortmund did inflict three-time finalists Atletico Madrid’s biggest defeat since 2011.
Sportsmail takes a look at the reasons to be cheerful and the reasons to be fearful for Tottenham supporters.
There are reasons for Tottenham to be optimistic but also cautious before Dortmund match
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
Borussia Dortmund have won only one of their last seven games and have not kept a clean sheet at home since December 1.
In the first leg, Dortmund’s attacking trio of Mario Gotze, Christian Pulisic and Jadon Sancho had just one shot between them.
Tottenham’s Son Heung-min has hit nine goals in 11 games against Dortmund — the most he has scored against any team.
Twenty of the 23 teams to have won the first leg of a Champions League knockout game by three or more goals have gone through to the next round.
Son Heung-min is in fine form and has nine goals in 11 games against Borussia Dortmund
REASONS TO BE FEARFUL
Shock second-leg turnarounds can happen to the best teams…
Last year, Barcelona beat Roma 4-1 at home in the first leg, but a late goal from Kostas Manolas in the Stadio Olimpico sealed a 3-0 win for Roma, who advanced on away goals.
The boot was on the other foot in 2017, when Barca became the first team to come back from a four-goal defeat. The Catalans scored six in the Nou Camp to stun PSG and go through to the quarter-finals.
Neymar inspired Barcelona to score six at the Nou Camp in a comeback win over PSG
Deportivo La Coruna were the first team to advance having lost the first leg by three or more goals in 2004. After a 4-1 defeat by AC Milan, they won 4-0 in Spain.
Dortmund have already handed out a thrashing to a European powerhouse at home this season…
In the group stage they beat three-time finalists Atletico Madrid 4-0. It was Atletico’s biggest defeat in any competition since 2011.
