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Tottenham versus Borussia Dortmund: 5 most important players

By Rucker Haringey

DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 05: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund walks out of the bus prior to the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images For MAN)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 05: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund walks out of the bus prior to the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images For MAN) /
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DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 09: Kevin Wimmer attends the Tottenham Hotspur FC press conference prior to the UEFA Europa League match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Signal Iduna Park on March 9, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 09: Kevin Wimmer attends the Tottenham Hotspur FC press conference prior to the UEFA Europa League match between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Signal Iduna Park on March 9, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

5. Kevin Wimmer

The Austrian centre back has the advantage of being familiar with Dortmund because of his time in the Bundesliga last season. That will give him an edge in the match-up, but he’ll still have his hands full with the prolific Dortmund attack.

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In particular, play close attention to Wimmer’s match-up with Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. If Wimmer has a big weakness, it’s dealing with strikers who have tons of pace. The Gabon man certainly has speed to burn. He’ll try to exploit Wimmer in open space.

Wimmer doesn’t need to be a star for Spurs to win, he just needs to play a solid match. If he doesn’t try to do too much in his return to the Bundesliga, he can deliver a solid, above-average defensive performance that will give Tottenham a great chance to win the match.

The defender’s positioning will be crucial in his efforts to contain the Dortmund attack. What he lacks in pace, he needs to make up for with the mental part of his game and his physical prowess. The less you notice Wimmer on the day, the better he is playing.

Next: 4. Christian Eriksen

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