EUROPEAN glory was not enough to save Ange Postecoglou in the summer.
But perhaps, just perhaps, the Champions League might be enough to keep Thomas Frank in the Spurs job for another few days at least.
On a night that seemed set up to be the Dane’s Tottenham deathknell, luck finally turned his way.
First half strikes from skipper Cristian Romero and – somehow – Dominic Solanke made it four European home wins out of four for the manager who cannot buy one in the Premier League.
Frank, who had surely feared this would be his swansong, finally found everything going the way he would have wanted.
Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga remember, never recovered from Romero’s choose-range finish, especially when they were forced to play with 10 men for 65 minutes after Daniel Svensson was sent off for a studs-first challenge into Wilson Odobert’s knee.
Odobert was a darting livewire all night, while Solanke’s goal, which he knew precious little about, was evidence of how much his line-leading qualities have been missed all season.
Despite that extra man, it was tough going in the second half, fear missed with so many disappointments bringing a loss of that earlier conviction, Dortmund aware one goal could alter everything.
But this time, as the rain fell on Frank, the weight of the world came off him.
And now, despite themselves and everything that has gone on, a win in Frankfurt next week will be enough to guarantee them a place in the top eight – and potentially, against all the odds, extend Frank’s reign into March.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
How swiftly things can change.
The pre-match mood was not entirely sulphurous, although it was bubbling away underneath the surface.
Faith in Frank had seemed beyond limited in the wake of Saturday’s crushing defeat by West Ham, while his team selection was forced on him by that litany of injuries, suspensions and ineligible players.
It saw Djed Spence playing on the left of the line behind Solanke – making his first start of an injury-plagued season – but dropping into a back five out of possession.
Too often this season, even bright starts at home have soon ebbed away.
This time, for once, there was a reward.
Even before Romero somehow angled his foot to divert Odobert’s cross into the net – the winger recovering swiftly after a horrible miskick – Spurs were showing intensity.
Xavi Simons and then Solanke were a whisker away from converting clever low balls in from Odobert and then Pedro Porro and the goal galvanised the entire ground.
Soon afterwards, Simons’ side-footer was deflected wide after Odobert had escaped down the right flank once again.
On the other flank, Spence’s directness was causing all sorts of problems too, Solanke unable to get his shot away after the unlikely attacking option forced his way to the dead ball line.
And when Dortmund were reduced to 10 men on 25 minutes, Frank must have felt things were turning his way at last.
Porro appealed instantly as Svensson slid into Odobert, although nobody in the crowd raised more than a murmur.
But Swedish ref Glenn Nyberg was always going to produce the red card after being sent to the monitor. Massive advantage Tottenham.
There remains a basic vulnerability about Frank’s side, always teetering on the brink of defensive implosion, never calm.
Yet last night, for 45 minutes, they were everything they have not been in recent weeks and months, penetrative on the flanks, asking difficult questions.
And getting a further helping hand from Dame Fortune as well, eight minutes from the break.
Odobert, once again, cantered into space to deliver and while Solanke’s brains and feet did not seem to have any connection, the ball ricocheted off both heels and dribbled, ever so slowly, against the post and eventually over the Dortmund line.
Frank looked revitalised too, his side going for more.
Simons smashed over and Odobert forced a gather from Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel as the stadium resounded with the buoyant chants that have rarely been heard in recent months, while there was applause rather than boos at the interval.
Frank’s side have really struggled to put two halves together. This was their best opportunity yet.
Not that they took it and had half-time replacement Julian Ryerson’s sweetly struck free-kick hit the target, Spurs might have collapsed once again. They have form in that regard.
If anything, Tottenham looked a man light, tension increasing when Lukas Bergvall limped off, replaced by Jun’Ai Byfield, one of the six rookies on the home bench.
The pressure came, Spurs wobbled but withstood it, before Simons created space for a shot Kobel turned behind and Romero headed narrowly wide.
That released the valve, although Randal Kolo Muani, on for Solanke, failed to finish it off when Simons sent him away.
In stoppage time, Guglielmo Vicario foiled Nico Schlotterbeck before Porro’s legs ran out after Simons played him in.
It did not matter. Frank lives on, too, it seems. For now, at least.