By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun
ANKARA (AA) – Tottenham Hotspurs and Real Madrid got the upper hand in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg matches on Wednesday evening.
In London's Wembley Stadium, Tottenham secured a confidence-boosting 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to late goals scored by Jan Verthongen and Fernando Llorente.
The English club managed to break the deadlock with South Korean sensation Heung-Min Son in the 47th minute. Jan Verthongen, who assisted Son in the first goal, scored one of his own in the 83rd minute to give the Spurs a 2-0 lead.
Fernando Llorente scored the curtain-closer in the 86th minute, giving Tottenham fans hope of reaching the quarterfinals, which if it happens, will be the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was also instrumental in the first-leg victory, as he stymied Christian Pulisic and Dan-Axel Zagadou in the first half of the match to keep his team level.
The second-leg match will be played on Tuesday, March 5 at Dortmund's home.
- Reigning champs have advantage in Netherlands
Real Madrid got the job done in Amsterdam's Johan Cruijff Arena with a 2-1 win over Ajax in the first-leg match.
The first half ended goalless — VAR instant-reply analysis was used to disallow a goal score by Ajax's Nicolas Tagliafico — but striker Karim Benzema broke the deadlock after an assist by Vinicius Jr.
Hakim Ziyech equalized the match at 1-1 with a goal in the 75th minute, but Marco Asensio's 87th minute tap-in crossed by Dani Carvajal gave the reigning Champions League winners the advantage going into home.
The match also had a special significance for defender Sergio Ramos, as it marked the 600th time he donned the Madrid jersey.
The second-leg match will be played on Tuesday, March 5 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
