It was a contender for shock result of the season. Nobody had given Tottenham any hope after Saturday’s Premier League disaster here against West Ham, one which had come coated in vitriol for Thomas Frank. The fans had demanded his immediate removal as the manager only for him to stagger on.

The execution was stayed. But here were Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team, who had lost only three games all season, to apply the final cut. Frank could see the bones in his resources – 13 players unavailable, only 11 established outfielders from which to select.