Tottenham v Dortmund: 5 reasons Spurs will break their Wembley curse

3. Christian Eriksen will outplay Mario Gotze

In some ways this is a bit of an unfair comparison. Eriksen and Gotze won’t necessarily be matched up across from one another during most of the match. On the other hand, both men are thought to be the midfield heartbeats of their club’s respective attacks. That’s what makes comparing them a reasonable idea.

Quite simply, Mario Gotze isn’t nearly as good as he once was. He burst onto the European scene with Dortmund as a teenager and looked like he was destined for stardom when he transferred by Bayern Munich. That seems like ages ago now. Injuries and the weight of lofty expectations have taken their toll on the 25-year-old German.

In sharp contrast, Eriksen is just starting to garner the attention he deserves. He’s been a key figure at Spurs under Pochettino, but this may be his breakout year. Eriksen has already notched a goal and two assists in just four Premier League matches on the young season. He’ll be desperate to get on the score sheet against Dortmund.

In the end, you should back the better athlete to win out here. Gotze still has plenty of skill on the ball, but his body won’t allow him to find sufficient space to play in. Eriksen has no such limitations. His constant movement will torment Dortmund all match long.