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Tottenham news: Rio Ferdinand singles out one man after ‘phenomenal’ Spurs beat Dortmund
TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino must take the credit for his side’s stunning Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.
That is the view of Manchester United legend and BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.
Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in their Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at Wembley.
Second-half goals from Heung-Min Son, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente have given Spurs a superb chance to make the quarter-final for just the second time.
And Ferdinand says Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical changes at half time was behind his team’s victory.
Pochettino has to take huge credit tonight
“Phenomenal,” Ferdinand said of Tottenham.
“Pochettino has to take huge credit tonight.
“I think the way he tweaked the positions of the full-backs from the first half, put them a little bit closer to the three centre-halves, didn’t allow the space down the sides.
“Shut out [Jadon] Sancho in the second half and then the individual performances of [Christian] Eriksen, Vertonghen with the assist and the goal, [Moussa] Sissoko from the middle of the park, Son’s movement and finish. To a man they were fantastic today.
“But I thought the tactical nouse of this team in the second half was fantastic to see.”
Dortmund are five points clear at the top of the German Bundesliga.
Ferdinand says there were moments in the first half where they looked like league-leaders.
However, he admits after the break Spurs were just too good for them.
“I think first half you could say ‘they look like the team top of the league in the Bundesliga’,” Ferdinand continued.
“But second half the contrast was huge and again the Spurs really went out and met this Dortmund team and overrun them in the second half.”
The second leg will take place in Dortmund on March 5.