Borussia Dortmund's first competitive meeting with Tottenham Hotspur will be their 21st encounter with a team from the home of football. There is already history between the pair, however, as they have previously squared off in friendly matches on four occasions.

  • It is Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur's first meeting in a UEFA competition, though they have played four friendlies since 1950. The English team have left the pitch as victors three times, most recently in the final of the Feyenoord Jubilee Tournament in August 2008, where they won 3-0. There has been one stalemate, back on 5 August 2006 in Dortmund (1-1, goals from Alex Frei and Dimitar Berbatov). The other matches took place in May 1950 in Germany (4-0) and a year later at the "Festival of Britain" (2-1).
  • "Spurs" have generally caused German opponents real headaches over the years. Though they suffered their heaviest defeat at European level in Germany (an 8-0 thrashing away to 1. FC Köln in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup), their general record is rather positive: Tottenham have won nine, drawn two and lost only five in 16 meetings with German clubs.
  • With a German team never having won at White Hart Lane, it will be extremely important for BVB to record a good result in the first leg. Tottenham have six wins and one draw in these matches.
  • All runs can come to an end, however, as Borussia experienced in their second last clash with a club from the Premier League. Fellow capital club Arsenal recorded a 1-0 win in Dortmund on 6 November 2013. Prior to that the Black and Yellows had never tasted defeat at home to an English club in European competition. BVB have five victories and three stalemates in front of their own fans, as well as the aforementioned reverse at the hands of Arsenal.
  • In their six European matches in the current campaign Borussia Dortmund have racked up five wins, scoring 20 goals in the process. The only defeat at Signal Iduna Park came against PAOK Saloniki on the last matchday of the group stages, by which point BVB had already qualified for the last 32.
  • So far, the Black and Yellows have had the most shots on target (59) and off target (58). They have also struck the woodwork nine times – more than any other team (no other club has hit the post or crossbar more than twice).
  • "Spurs" have lost only one of their eight Europa League matches this season (five wins, two draws). They were beaten 2-1 away to Anderlecht in the group.
  • Borussia Dortmund are one of only two teams who have made it all the way from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round into the last 16. The other team is Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao. (br)