While Tottenham are yet to win at Wembley this season, victory over Dortmund on Wednesday could banish painful memories of failure at the national stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur will look to improve their miserable Wembley record against the might of Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday – a fixture that may well have some home fans worried.
Spurs won their first game at the rebuilt Wembley in 2008, but have tasted victory only once in the subsequent 11 matches, including a defeat to Chelsea and a draw against Burnley in the Premier League this season.
But Tottenham are going to have to end this so-called jinx at some stage and Dortmund’s visit represents the perfect opportunity.
As with Harry Kane’s tendency to burst into life as soon as August passes, it would be reasonable to expect that Spurs will suddenly discover the knack of winning at the national stadium as soon as they triumph in a big game.
Beating Swansea City on Sunday would not send quite the same message as a win against Dortmund – particularly after the recent failures against rivals Chelsea.
And Dortmund are not necessarily the toughest opponents Tottenham could play right now, even if they do lead the Bundesliga.
Spurs’ minimal transfer business benefited Mauricio Pochettino as there was no great overhaul to the system or the personnel, allowing his side to carry on as they had last season – unlike big-spending Everton, ruthlessly dispatched on Saturday.
But Dortmund – like Everton – lost their star man this summer and will take time to adjust. Peter Bosz’s men could find no way through the 10 men of Freiburg at the weekend, drawing 0-0.
Tottenham have the quality and the form to beat the German side. If they can put aside any doubts over the stadium, victory could kickstart their season.
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