Spurs hold a three-goal lead in the round of 16 tie, but expect Borussia Dortmund to come out the traps fast in this second leg

Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane knows what type of atmosphere the players will walk into at the Westfalenstadion this evening.

Spurs take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16 second leg looking to safely secure their passage into the quarter-finals.

It would be the first time the club have reached the last-eight stage since 2011 and leading 3-0 from the previous tie, they will not get a better opportunity to do so.

Bundesliga leaders Dortmund will look for an early goal to increase the noise inside the stadium and add to any potential Tottenham nerves, but Mauricio Pochettino has seen his team come through several pressure situations in Europe this season.

“We will have to be mature, away from home. They have a great atmosphere there and they will want to get out the blocks firing,” Kane said.

“It is down to us to settle the nerves and play under pressure and make sure we dictate the game like we did at Wembley in the second half.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy, but it’s down to us to put in a good performance and we will not get a better opportunity to get to a quarter-final.”

The Lilywhites hunt for silverware looks set to extend into a 12th-year after they saw their Premier League title hopes evaporate last month, while in January they lost out in both the League Cup and FA Cup.

When asked if reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time under Pochettino would show Spurs continue to progress, Kane replied: “I’d say so, just to show in Europe we are growing and we are becoming a bigger team.

“We went out at this stage last year, so I think it is important we definitely get to the quarter-finals to show we are improving.

“The league is obviously difficult and year-by-year teams are getting better, so it is important that we try and maintain that and get better ourselves, but it is not always that easy.

“We’re in a good spot and we need to get through against Dortmund and it will be a success in the Champions League so far if we do.”

Kane could well start his fourth consecutive game since returning from injury later in Germany, but the forward insists he feels good after coming back from ankle ligament damage.

The 25-year-old and his team-mates also know a break is on the cards after visiting Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Once they have done battle with the Saints, Tottenham will not play until March 31 when they visit Liverpool.

International games will take place between March 20 and March 27, but the time off will be timely for the squad after a demanding season.

“Whenever you come back from injury and you have three tough games like we have had, it is never easy,” Kane added.

“But I worked very hard during the rehab part to make sure I can play like I have. We have got another big week this week and then we have got a break in the fixture list because of the FA Cup before the international break.

“So that will give us a little bit of a chance, all of us, to do a bit of training, recover well and then look forward to the international games.”