WEST BEST TO INSPIRE HOME RUN

WAS this a taste of what Tottenham have got to look forward to?

It certainly should be enough to persuade Mauricio Pochettino to stay for one more season at least.

Spurs have made no secret about the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund being the inspiration behind the redevelopment of White Hart Lane. The new south stand may only hold 17,500 as opposed to the 25,000 fans who formed the impressive ‘Yellow Wall’ last night.

But in the same way as the seats climb high into the German sky, so the stands at the new White Hart Lane have been designed to be the steepest that health and safety experts will permit.

And boy did those German fans go out of their way to show how valuable an asset this can be to a home side.

Giant yellow flags swirled up and down the full slope – and that was just when the players came out to warm up.

By kick-off time, the volume was pumped to the max, the German club’s version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ making way for the Champions League anthem.

Clinging

Then it was old fashioned whistles for Spurs, but with roars of encouragement ready to erupt every time Dortmund swept forward.

That was a lot. Tottenham looked uncertain at the back, as any away team would.

The neat passing moves that they use to get themselves out of trouble were too often going awry and last-ditch tackles were taking over.

When Hugo Lloris could only palm a shot up in the air from Marco Reus in the 20th minute, the fans behind him seemed to suck the ball goalwards. He, like Tottenham, was just about clinging on.

It was an atmosphere to test the nerves of a seasoned World Cup winner. Lucky, then, Lloris is one of those.

Four more strong saves before the break allowed Spurs to the relative sanctity of the dressing room at half-time with their threegoal cushion still intact.

Then the Westfalenstadion fell silent. Harry