Tottenham 3 Borussia Dortmund 1: Harry Kane scores twice to wipe out Andriy Yarmolenko’s stunner as visitors have TWO goals disallowed
Heung-min Son scored Mauricio Pochettino's side's opener but Jan Vertonghen was harshly sent off late on
HARRY KANE struck twice to blow Dortmund – and Tottenham’s Wembley hoodoo – out of the water.
The England striker’s double, after he had set up Heung-min Son’s opener, ensured Spurs got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start - although Jan Vertonghen was sent off late on.
It also sealed their first win of the season at their temporary Wembley home – where they are playing their matches this term while the construction of their new £750million stadium is completed.
After losing to Chelsea and being held to a draw by Burnley, even the most ardent Spurs fan was wondering if their heroes were cursed by the Arch.
But Kane put all this talk to bed as he inspired Mauricio Pochettino’s men to a stunning victory over the Germans in their Group H opener.
The Three Lions ace said in the build-up he could only be considered “world-class” if he excels in the Champions League.
Well he put on a world-class display against Dortmund.
Tottenham went ahead in the fourth minute when Kane sent Son racing clear from the halfway line on the left.
latest spurs news
The South Korean cut into the box and shaped to shoot with his right foot before turned Dortmund skipper Sokratis Papastathopoulos inside out and fired home with his left from a tight angle.
The lead lasted only seven minutes, though, as Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko played a one-two with former Manchester United man Shinji Kagawa and curled a beautiful shot into corner for to make 1-1 in the 11th minute.
But Kane restored Tottenham’s lead in the 15th minute with a goal that relied as much on his tenacity as it did his talent.
The England man wrestled Papastathopoulos off his back and bulldozed his way through Nuri Sahin as he steamed in from the halfway line and bent in a powerful shot that saw Dortmund keeper Roman Burki beaten at his near post for a second time in the match.
Latest football news
Vertonghen’s brilliant interception prevented Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from pulling one back for Dortmund before the break.
And Spurs got lucky when the Dortmund dangerman had an effort ruled out for offside in the 56th minute – even though TV replays showed the Gabon goal-getter was definitely onside.
Kane then rubbed salt in the visitors’ wounds by making it 3-1 with a low left-footed shot from the corner on the hour mark - but that only came after Christian Pulisic also had a goal disallowed.
Vertonghen got his second yellow for making contact with Mario Gotze's face - although it seemed a harsh decision by referee Gianluca Rocchi.
What they said
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said: "It is more than three points. At half-time we fixed some problems and modified the position of some players.
"The tempo of the game decreased which was better for us. Dortmund are a very aggressive team, we struggled a little to pass the ball quickly.
"Sometimes you can't dominate, you have to play a different way and the team is more mature now. We can learn a lot from this game.
"Harry Kane was fantastic."
