Solanke helps Spurs secure much needed win for under pressure boss Frank

Tottenham secured a much needed home win for boss Thomas Frank as they comfortably beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League.

It was their first home win in any competition since December 9, a 3-0 victory against Slavia Prague also in the Champions League.

The performance against Dortmund was as good as any during Frank’s tenure, and could have been more resounding.

Spurs opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Cristian Romero after some good work from Wilson Odobert.

The Frenchman tried an ambitious volley from a corner which he completely mis-kicked, but it put him in a good position on the right side of the box to deliver in a cross, which he duly did.

The delivery was a few centimetres behind Romero in the middle, but the Spurs captain did well to drag it in, and from that moment the result never looked in doubt.

The game turned even more in Tottenham’s favour when Daniel Svensson was sent off for the visitors 10 minutes later due to a studs-up challenge on Odobert.

It was initially given as a yellow card before VAR intervened and the decision was changed to a sending off.

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The travelling Dortmund fans remained in high spirits, however. They made themselves heard all game and did not let the poor performance from their side or the downpour of rain dampen their mood.

Spurs doubled their lead in the 37th minute when Dominic Solanke scored his first goal since May. The Englishman has just returned from an ankle injury which caused him to miss five months of action.

It was also his first competitive start since May, and the finish for the goal was that of someone who has not scored in months.

Odobert played a lovely one-two with Pedro Porro before delivering in a great cross. It fell perfectly to Solanke, but came off his trailing foot, onto the heel of his other foot, and then back onto his trailing foot before somehow trickling in. But Solanke will not care. The Englishman could do nothing but laugh as he celebrated.

Frank also looked delighted on the touchline. He has endured a miserable few weeks, with Saturday’s defeat to West Ham piling more pressure on the Dane. But this was a much better performance that took Spurs to fourth in the Champions League league table.

Now the challenge is to take their Champions League form into the Premier League. Frank may have bought himself some time for now, but he remains on thin ice until domestic results improve.