Spurs hope to bury ghosts of Wembley

london — Frustrated by a series of miserable experiences at Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur host Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday desperate to finally vanquish the ghosts that haunt them at the national stadium.

When Mauricio Pochettino’s side kick off their Champions League campaign against the Germans, it won’t be just priceless Group H points that are up for grabs.

For Tottenham, Wembley is in danger of becoming the bogeyman that wreaks havoc on their ambitions to challenge for silverware at home and abroad.

The north London club have been forced to relocate to Wembley while White Hart Lane is being rebuilt. But Spurs have now played 12 matches at Wembley since the famous old arena was revamped — winning just twice and suffering eight defeats.

Tottenham’s struggles at Wembley came into harsh focus last season in the Champions League when they won just one of their group matches there. CSKA Moscow were the only team they could beat as defeats against Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen sent them crashing out.

Even playing against Gent in the Europa League at Wembley proved a painful experience as the Belgians claimed a draw that eliminated Tottenham in the last 32.

Remarkably, there was still more Wembley woe in store for Spurs before the end of the season as they lost the FA Cup semifinal to Chelsea 4-2.

The contrast between their form at Wembley and White Hart Lane is stark. Last season’s second-place finish in the Premier League was built on a brilliant unbeaten record in front of their own fans, which saw them win 17 and draw two of their 19 home league games.

Yet as soon as they pitch up at Wembley, Tottenham’s invincibility evaporates. They’ve done their best to make Wembley feel like home, draping the stadium in the club’s livery, hanging posters with Spurs slogans, and employing a drummer to lift the noise levels. —