Match Report: Vertonghen embodies Tottenham’s epic performance in Champions League thriller
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All eyes were on Jadon Sancho as he set foot on the hallowed Wembley Turf on Wednesday evening but it was his opposite number who stole the headlines with a colossal performance on the left-side of a back five.
Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical nous has been called into question in Champions League campaigns down the years. The defeat against Juventus last season underlined a naivety in his approach which ultimately cost his side a place in the quarter-final, but the Argentine was determined to learn his lesson against Borussia Dortmund.
The first-half was typical of a quintessential Champions League knockout stage tie: cagey, tightly-contested, lacking cutting edge – the type of game which is poised on a knife edge and compelling even in the absence of decisive ingenuity. The second-half belonged to the relentless hosts.
It would be a tad hyperbolic to label the game as one of two halves as the opening period was closely matched, but there are clear lines of distinction to be drawn between the first and second period which, in a landmark moment for Europe’s dark horse, pointed towards genuine progression at the top level.
Spurs have often been depicted as the young pretender with no mettle, but demons of a disheartening past were exorcised as experience combined with a sprinkle of youthful exuberance provided a balance which enabled Pochettino’s men to tower above the overwhelmed visitors.
The vociferous yellow wall was gradually drowned out by a buoyant Wembley crowd who grew with confidence as every dominant second half minute passed. At the heart of it all was Jan Vertonghen.
Pitted against England’s golden boy and jet-setting extraordinaire, the Belgium international found himself in unfamiliar territory versus the most talented teenager in Europe.
A highlight reel devoted to Sancho’s stratospheric dribbling ability broadcasted by Sky Sports during the interval summed up the opening 45 minutes: he was the man everyone was talking about and Dortmund’s success rested on his shoulders.
If anything was likely to happen it was going to come through Sancho, but it must be said that Vertonghen did a decent job of marshalling him on the flank; it was the 18-year-old’s darts infield which served to disrupt an otherwise robust defensive unit. At the other end of the field, the makeshift left-back struggled to get to grips with his attacking responsibilities.
His frustration reverberated from his clapping hands when he was dumped on the floor by Dortmund’s Achraf Hakimi a few yards away from the corner flag, leaving him perplexed and mocking the referee following what was unquestionably a blatant foul.
But the second-half hosted the birth of a new left-back, a supercharged Vertonghen 2.0.
The 31-year-old veteran who marched down the tunnel at half-time remained in the dressing room; a revamped, modern day and marauding full-back took his place on the field of play for the second 45 minutes, and within seconds he whipped a world class cross onto the right boot of an airborne Son Heung-min, who caressed the delicious cross into the top corner of the goal, the ball brushing the netting with emphatic delicacy as around 70,000 Spurs fans were sent into delirium.
Little did they know his masterclass was just getting started. A bulldozing run through the heart of Dortmund’s defence ended with a speculative right-footed effort flying harmlessly into the crowd, but his intentions were clear.
And, with just seven minutes of regulatory time remaining, he ghosted in at the back post to double the advantage with an air of conviction which hinted he’d been playing in the wrong position for his entire career.
A 2-0 win at home in the first-leg is widely regarded as the perfect Champions League result. Pochettino, though, didn’t allow that acute awareness to cloud his judgement and continued to stand by the system which had stifled Dortmund for most of the game, bringing on Fernando Llorente for Lucas Moura in a straight substitution. Just two minutes later he headed Spurs into a fantasy land where all types of myths and legends reside by adding a third goal to complete demolition Dortmund.
Game, set and match – for now at least. The second-half performance was epitomised by maturity, dead-eyed finishing and a willingness to scrap for every last 50:50 or 80:20. Vertonghen was the embodiment of those qualities.
The promise showcased by Sancho in the first-half was symbolic of the Tottenham of years gone by, threatening to do something unprecedented in fleeting moments of enchantment before fading into predictable insignificance.
The majestic second-half masterclass from Vertonghen, however, proved that winds of change have been blowing in north London. Both Pochettino and his excellent squad of players have come of age.