Champions League: Dortmund seeking miracle in London

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - German football club Borussia Dortmund will look to complete a miracle against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie as the English club won the first leg 3-0 in London.

Tottenham took the advantage to claim the quarter finals ticket in the Champions League as Spurs' South Korean midfielder Heung-Min Son, Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente netted second half goals against Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

Dortmund will try to achieve a difficult task against Tottenham at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday evening in the second leg match.

In this game, Tottenham may lack their English star Dele Alli suffering from hamstring injury but English striker Harry Kane will be available.

Kane missed the first leg as he sustained an ankle injury.

Dortmund's Polish veteran right back Lukasz Piszczek is likely to miss the match as he is sidelined by injury.

"It's important to start the game at a very good level -- be aggressive, fight from the beginning, high tempo, that is the key," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

"It's a great opportunity to play and go through to the next round in an important competition like the Champions League. Tomorrow is going to be a tough game. We need to forget the first leg," Pochettino added.

Meanwhile Dortmund manager Lucien Favre warned his players to play "very cleverly" to qualify for the next stage.

"Every game is different. The first leg is done and this is a different situation. We know we can score goals, but as I said, we have to play very cleverly," Favre said.

"We know it is tough, but you never know," he added.

Separately Dortmund's German star Marco Reus encouraged his teammates to eliminate Tottenham.

"Games that have made history have been played in this stadium. I think we are in a position to achieve the impossible. It's important for us to believe. Of course, we need a top performance and to go to our limit. We need to score at the right times. It is important to find the right balance between defense and attack," Reus said.

- Real Madrid target Ajax

In the other Round of 16 game of Tuesday, Spanish giants Real Madrid will host Dutch opponents Ajax at Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid are leading 2-1 from the first leg held in Amsterdam.

A late winner scored by Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio made Spanish side grasp the advantage for the second leg.

Real Madrid's Spanish central defender Sergio Ramos is suspended for the return match in Madrid.

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag thinks Real Madrid may lack Ramos against them.

"Sergio Ramos is suspended. I think he is the boss on the pitch and in the back line. Him being absent is not only a tactical loss for them but also a mental one," Ten Hag said.

"There is always belief. Faith is the last thing you lose. We are determined. We have to put in a great performance and work as a unit for 90 minutes," Ajax's Argentinian left back Nicolas Tagliafico said.

Separately Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric praised their opponents Ajax.

"They showed in the first leg they are very talented, ambitious, young players, with real hunger." Modric remarked before the second leg.