Tottenham Hotspur draw Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16

For the second time in two years, Tottenham Hotspur will play Dortmund in the Champions League. This time, however, it will be in the knock outs and not in the group stages. The draw for the Champions League Round of 16 took place today in Nyon, Switzerland, and Spurs were drawn against the current leaders of the Bundesliga.

This is a tweaked, and improved, Dortmund team from the one Spurs beat twice in the Group Stages last season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has moved on to Arsenal, for one, and he has been replaced by Paco Alacer, the Spanish former Barcelona player who already has 11 goals. English starlet Jadon Sancho, whom Spurs tried to sign last summer, is also lighting up the Bundesliga with five goals and seven assists so far this season. Dortmund are currently 8 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table, and nine points above Bayern Munich.

This isn’t the best possible draw for Spurs, but it also isn’t the worst. Spurs have experience playing at the Westfalenstadion from last year and might — just might — have a HUGE home advantage if they are allowed to play the home tie at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There’s some poetry in it too — Dortmund were Spurs’ last European opponent in the old White Hart Lane, and they now might be their first at the new ground.

Dortmund might be slightly favored over two legs, but this is a very tasty match up and I’m pretty excited for it. The first leg will take place in England (either Wembley or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) on Wednesday, February 13.

It’s pretty much England vs. Germany in this round of the Champions League: with the exception of Manchester United, who drew PSG, all the other English clubs face Bundesliga opponents. Manchester City have a straightforward match against Schalke, while Liverpool will play Bayern Munich.

What are your thoughts about this draw?