Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League preview, team news and head to head record
Following an abysmal domestic run of form, Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention to the Champions League as they host Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Thomas Frank’s future in North London looks to be under serious doubt now, following his side’s embarrassing 2-1 home defeat to struggling London rivals West Ham United at the weekend.
Coming on the back of three consecutive defeats and no wins in any of their previous five matches, it is no surprise that you would struggle to find a single Spurs supporter feeling particularly forgiving towards the Tottenham head coach.
With the Champions League realistically or unrealistically representing their only remaining route to silverware this season, Spurs have at least offered some encouragement in Europe. They currently sit 11th in the league phase standings, having beaten Slavia Prague 3-0 their last time out in this competition over a month ago.
Interestingly, the numbers are almost a carbon copy for Borussia Dortmund as they sit one place above Tottenham in 10th, despite sharing the same number of points, wins, defeats, draws and even goal difference, with the German side only ahead courtesy of having scored more goals.
Currently 2nd in the Bundesliga, Dortmund arrive in London on the back of a 3-2 win over St. Pauli at the weekend. They have lost just once in their last 12 matches in all competitions, a run that includes a 2-2 draw against Tottenham’s familiar European opponent, Bodo/Glimt, in their latest Champions League outing.
What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund kick off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
- Kick-off time: 8:00 pm BST
Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund: Head-to-head record
These two sides are no strangers to each other in the Champions League, most notably, having last met during Spurs’ historic 2018/19 run to the final, where Tottenham ran out 4-0 winners on aggregate over two legs, courtesy of generational performances from Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris.
In fact, the two clubs have faced each other four times in this competition, and Tottenham have emerged victorious on all four occasions, which makes it all the more amusing that Borussia Dortmund’s social media admin found the confidence to troll Spurs during the Champions League draw earlier this season.
Tottenham team news
The injury list continues to grow for Tottenham Hotspur, with Ben Davies the latest to be sidelined after being stretchered off against West Ham, ruling him out of this fixture.
Xavi Simons was seen limping at full-time, while Archie Gray was withdrawn at half-time with a knock, meaning the availability of both players will need to be clarified by the Tottenham manager.
Joao Palhinha missed the weekend entirely with a knock and remains a doubt, while there was at least some positive news as Lucas Bergvall surprisingly returned to the squad.
Yves Bissouma also made his first appearance of the season, and Conor Gallagher was handed his Spurs debut, but neither are registered in Spurs’ Champions League squad. Micky Van de Ven is also suspended, while Dominic Solanke is also not in the current Champions League squad.
Pape Matar Sarr has been away on AFCON duty and may not return on time, while James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain unavailable.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Borussia Dortmund will travel to North London without Aaron Anselmino and Marcel Sabitzer, while Ramy Bensebaini’s availability remains a doubt.
Predicted Tottenham line-up
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Danso, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall, Simons; Odobert, Kolo Muani, Tel
Our prediction
Mathys Tel is one to watch here. He was arguably Spurs’ standout performer against West Ham and, more importantly, consistently looked to play progressive passes and set up his teammates.
For Dortmund, the threat will come from Serhou Guirassy, and Tottenham’s defence simply cannot afford to let him dictate play between the lines, especially given how effective he is at linking attacks, an area Spurs have struggled to contain all season.
The Tottenham board are said to be weighing up a managerial change, and there is a genuine chance that Thomas Frank may not even be in the dugout. Even if he is, we expect this to be his final opportunity to turn things around, and if Spurs fail to win here, his sacking would be almost certain.
Both sides sit on the edge of the automatic round-of-16 qualification places, so the stakes are high. Dortmund may arrive in better overall form, but Tottenham are the more desperate of the two, and that could ultimately make the difference.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
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