Tottenham v Dortmund: 5 reasons Spurs will break their Wembley curse
4. Marcel Schmelzer’s injury
When he’s fit, Marcel Schmelzer is one of the finest fullbacks in Europe. He serves as a real leader for Dortmund on the pitch as well. Unfortunately for the Bundesliga giants, he won’t be fit enough to feature in this match.
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His absence will likely force 18-year-old starlet Dan-Axel Zagadou onto the pitch in his place. He’s an exceptional talent, but he’s not ready for such an important Champions League encounter. Expect Pochettino to instruct his squad to target him at every opportunity.
His youth and inexperience is going to give Son Heung-Min and (likely) Serge Aurier the chance to attack him all match long. In the end, I expect his youth to yield several scoring chances for Spurs. Several opportunities may be all Harry Kane needs to earn all three points for his squad.
Schmelzer’s absence will also impact Dortmund on the attacking end of the pitch. He’s excellent at getting forward and providing support to his club’s talented front three. Don’t expect Zagadou to be quite as adventurous or assured with the ball in Tottenham’s defensive third. Ultimately, Schmelzer’s absence could be a massive issue for Dortmund for the full 90 minutes.