die Deutschen tun.
When you watch the Bundesliga three things stick out and all three were there as Borussia Dortmund beat Spurs 2-1 to go through 5-1 on aggregate to the Europa League quarter finals.
The first up is that the Germans do love a flag and they were there in their little yellow Teutonic corner of White Hart Lane waving them away.
Secondly, their managers a re a scruffy bunch of buggers. Elsewhere, such as the Premier League, they are either in a suit and tie or wearing some sort of training gear the later of which is nowhere near as scruffy as they get in Germany. Over there it’s nearly all dirty jeans and greasy hair. Tuchel ticks the box.
And thirdly a lot of the goals come in two categories. Screamers and howlers. Cracking goals and defensive mistakes.
And that’s generally how the goals were in this game. The first one being a mixture of both as a howler from Lamela gifted the ball away and Aubameyang finished it off with a cracking shot past Lloris.
Four nil, an away goal so five needed, only thing to be grateful for was that the ball flew past Hugo as he was earlier on involved in a coming together with Davies. The fullback came worse off and was left somewhat stunned on the ground after the clash. He tried to carry on but left dazed and confused a few minutes later.
Dortmund aren’t half bad at this game and they certainly didn’t need any help from Spurs but they were getting it. Admittedly with their pressing game they were helping Spurs cough up possession and helping Spurs to be disjointed and have no fluency whatsoever.
But for Alderweireld they could have added more, with Spurs help of course, as he just piled a few million onto his asking price. Dollar signs spinning around in Daniel Levy’s eyes. Less than £12m, really does look like the signing of the season.
Spurs had some chances, they eventually got somewhere close to the Dortmund box but couldn’t finish anything off.
Well when Aubameyang doubled his tally and the lead on the night as they waltzed through Spurs, well it was salt rubbing time. Only surprise was that it took them until the 70th minute to do so. Well, suppose it’s not like they really had to bother, chances of Spurs scoring one was slim never mind five… now six, impossible. It wasn’t a screamer, slight collective defensive howler but it was a well worked goal by the visitors.
Amazingly Spurs did get on the score-sheet as Subotic present Son with a gilt edged chance after another howler. This one he did finish off, unlike the earlier attempts he’d butchered. Not really much consolation.
Well beaten over both legs, by a far superior first team. Who knows, a stronger team in that first game and nothing else to play for, things might have been a bit different.
But there is that other prize that makes you think, well no more midweek games, but now after that it really has to be won. Do so and who remembers the second string European competition?
Apologies for including a video with commentary from Robbie Savage. As two English clubs exited Europe and the two remaining will likely follow shortly, BT Sport viewing figures will drop even further hopefully UEFA will not be happy and will see the error of their ways…