Tottenham Hotspur endured a nightmare start in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Atletico Madrid. Expectations were already low for the Premier League side, who are battling near the relegation zone, but even the most pessimistic supporters would have been stunned by how badly Spurs began the match.
Igor Tudor’s team were already four goals behind within just 22 minutes — the second-earliest time a side has ever trailed by that margin in the competition, according to Transfermarkt. Matters were made worse when goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was responsible for two of the goals. He then became the first goalkeeper in Champions League history to be substituted inside the opening 20 minutes without suffering an injury.
Pedro Porro did manage to score for Tottenham to reduce the deficit, but the situation nearly deteriorated further in the 38th minute when Micky van de Ven launched into a reckless tackle that could easily have resulted in a red card. Fortunately for Spurs, he avoided being sent off.
Even with all 11 players still on the pitch, the North London side never looked capable of staging a comeback. The match eventually ended in a 5–2 victory for Atletico Madrid.
Van de Ven Escapes Red After Risky Challenge
Van de Ven had already been sent off in Tottenham’s previous match — a 3–1 home defeat to Crystal Palace — and his latest lapse in discipline has sparked fresh criticism.
Journalist Henry Winter condemned the challenge, writing that the defender was “very, very lucky” to avoid a red card for what he described as a poor tackle.
Football writer James Benge also suggested the incident could damage Van de Ven’s reputation among clubs that have been linked with signing him, joking that interested teams might soon reconsider after watching his recent performances.
The Dutch defender ended the match with a disappointing 5.6 rating on SofaScore. He was also credited with an error that led to a goal and failed to register any interceptions or blocks during the game.
