- Spurs win at home
- Kane scores two
- JPW’s 3 things from Wembley
Harry Kane scored twice after Son Heung-min’s early rocket, and Tottenham Hotspur handled Borussia Dortmund 3-1 at Wembley Stadium in both sides’ UCL group stage debut on Wednesday.
Andriy Yarmolenko scored BVB’s goal, while Jan Vertonghen was sent off late for Spurs.
Spurs next UCL opponent is APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus on Sept. 26, while Dortmund is off to Real Madrid on the same date.
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The opening goals were both wonderful.
Son started the scoring with a terrific solo run down the left flank, turning the corner on Sokratis and then blasting a shot over the shoulder of Roman Burki. The BVB goalkeeper will not pleased with conceding near post, but the shot still looked great.
Yarmolenko, the all-time Ukrainian leading scorer bought soon after BVB sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona, looked an able replacement with his wonderful curling rip from atop the 18. The left-footed strike left Hugo Lloris grasping for air, and it was 1-1.
That’s when Kane gave the match its third goal within the first 15 minutes, and Burki was again victimized short side. Kane’s shot swept around Burki and may’ve even just kissed the post on its way to Spurs’ 2-1 lead.
A brilliant dribble from Christian Pulisic almost leveled it, but his left-footed square ball was deflected by Jan Vertonghen before it could reach Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Pulisic’s desperate slide couldn’t quite get enough to redirect a 36th minute cross home, either, as BVB kept knocking.
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Son looked ready to make it 3-1 when Harry Kane ran onto a Christian Eriksen flick and sent a cross that Son settled, only to curl his 17 yard offering over the goal.
Christian Pulisic had a goal pulled back for offside, rightly so, but Aubameyang’s 56th minute goal should have stood if not for the flag the linesman.
That’s when Kane doubled Spurs advantage, cued up by Eriksen and hitting a clinical left-footed strike past a diving Burki and inside the far post.
This was a welcome match for Eriksen, who managed just a single assist as Spurs flamed out of the 2016-17 UCL at the group stage. His deft touch and vision were on display for most of the match.
Vertonghen was sent-off in the second minute of stoppage time for flailing his back arm into Mario Gotze’s face.