Tottenham Hotspur, the former club of Son Heung-min (now at LAFC), suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat in the UEFA Champions League after being forced to substitute their goalkeeper just 17 minutes into the match, severely damaging their quarterfinal hopes.
Tottenham lost 5-2 to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain on March 11. The North London club now must win by four or more goals in the second leg at home on March 19 to advance to the quarterfinals.
The defeat extended Tottenham's losing streak to six consecutive official matches. The club has lost five straight in the English Premier League since a 2-0 away defeat to Manchester United on February 7, followed by this loss to Atletico.
According to football statistics provider Opta, this marks the first time in club history that Tottenham has lost six consecutive official matches. The club, founded in September 1882, has a 143-year history.
Four of the six defeats have come under interim manager Igor Tudor, who was brought in to change the team's fortunes, leaving the situation looking increasingly dire.
Tudor's decision to start backup goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, making his Champions League debut, over first-choice Guglielmo Vicario backfired spectacularly. In the 6th minute, Kinsky slipped while attempting to clear the ball, losing possession to the opposition. The mistake led directly to Marcos Llorente's opening goal.
In the 14th minute, Pape Sarr lost a challenge in his own half and the ball fell backward. Micky van de Ven slipped while trying to recover it, allowing Antoine Griezmann to pounce and score with his left foot.
The nightmare continued for Tottenham. Just one minute later, Kinsky completely missed a back-pass from a defender, gifting Julian Alvarez the third goal. Having conceded three goals in 15 minutes, Kinsky lay face-down on the pitch, unable to lift his head.
Tottenham was forced to make the rare decision of substituting their goalkeeper just 17 minutes into the match. Tudor replaced Kinsky with Vicario. However, Tottenham conceded again in the 22nd minute when Robin Le Normand headed in a fourth goal.
Tottenham pulled one back through Pedro Porro in the 26th minute but trailed 4-1 at halftime. Atletico sealed the victory in the 55th minute when Alvarez scored on a counterattack.
Dominic Solanke found the net in the 76th minute after a passing error by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, but it had little impact on the final outcome.