Tottenham capitulated in dramatic fashion as they were thrashed 5-2 by Atletico Madrid to leave their Champions League hopes in tatters.
Atletico could scarcely believe their luck after three mistakes inside the first 15 minutes handed them a three-goal lead at the Metropolitano.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was replaced after just 17 minutes on his Champions League debut, but the goals kept coming with Robin Le Marchand and Julian Alvarez adding to Spurs’ misery.
Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke reduced the arrears, but the scoreline hardly reflected the night’s events as Spurs were humiliated on a remarkable evening in Madrid.
Kinsky endures nightmare Champions League debut
Given everything that happened in a suffocating 15-minute spell in which Spurs found themselves 3-0 down, Antonin Kinsky’s Champions League debut can be summarised pretty concisely. It was nothing short of a nightmare.
The 22-year-old gifted Atletico two goals inside the opening quarter of an hour before being replaced in the 17th minute by Guglielmo Vicario on a wretched evening for the Czech international.
Kinsky’s first mistake came as he slipped while looking to launch a pass out wide to Pedro Porro, giving the ball to Julian Alvarez inside the box, who squared for Marcos Llorente to open the scoring.
Then moments after Micky van de Ven had slipped to let Antoine Griezmann through on goal and double the hosts’ lead, Kinsky inexplicably mishit a pass to allow Alvarez to finish into an empty net.
This is an evening that will stay with Kinsky for a long time, and he was escorted towards and down the tunnel by a number of players and staff, including Dominic Solanke, Joao Palhinha and Conor Gallagher, after making way for Vicario.
Igor Tudor has made a habit of making bold calls during his time in charge of Spurs, but this decision backfired spectacularly and all but killed the tie as a contest.
Tudor at the point of no return
Tudor had said tonight’s game was not a priority, but it was still a chance to generate some momentum before attention switched back to the relegation race.
As it happened, though, Spurs were not only beaten, they were embarrassed as Tudor became the first Spurs manager to lose his first four games in charge.
The scoreline does not reflect just how catastrophic a performance this was for Spurs, and it is hard to see any way back for Tudor.
It is hard to pin individual mistakes on the manager, but Tudor’s decision to bring in Kinsky misfired, and it was not as if tonight’s game was a one-off in terms of defensive mishaps.
Defensively, Spurs have been a wreck throughout Tudor’s reign, and after shipping five goals to Simeone’s side, they have now conceded 14 goals in just four games.
Tudor’s hard-nosed approach has not gone down well, and the fact that he did not make an attempt to interact with any of the players he brought off was symptomatic of a team and a manager at loggerheads.
It was always a risk to bring Tudor in, but there now seems no place for him to turn after one of Spurs’ most embarrassing nights on the continent.
Champions League hopes up in flames
Spurs came into this game with no expectations, but what transpired even the most cynical of fan could not have predicted.
On a harrowing night for the north London club, Spurs found themselves down and out inside 15 minutes with only themselves to blame.
Their Champions League hopes are up in smoke, but what it means for their chances of Premier League survival is perhaps the more damning consequence of a truly horrendous evening in the Spanish capital.
Spurs must now turn their attention back to the Premier League and a trip to Anfield on Sunday, winless in 12 games in all competitions and at risk of ending the week in the relegation zone.
There had been hope, if not expectation, that Spurs could generate some much-needed momentum in a competition where they have found favour this season.
Now, though, they are at probably their lowest ebb, with a team low on confidence and a manager seemingly with one foot out of the door.
