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Tottenham Hotspur face a near insurmountable task when they face Atletico Madrid in their Champions League second leg on Tuesday, trailing 5-2 on aggregate
Antonin Kinsky goalkeeper of Tottenham and Czech Republic dejected is replaced after Atletico third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match
Tottenham star Antonin Kinsky endured a Champions League debut to forget last week(Image: Getty)
Everything you need to know about Antonin Kinsky's Champions League nightmare for Spurs
The first leg of Tottenham's Champions League round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid ended in a crushing 5-2 defeat. The second leg is scheduled to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, March 18.
In the first clash, manager Igor Tudor made the bold decision to drop regular starter Guglielmo Vicario. He handed 22-year-old Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky his Champions League debut in the high-stakes away fixture.
Head coach Tudor explained that he chose Kinsky to shield Vicario from the immense "pressure" following five consecutive Premier League losses. He felt a different competition offered a chance for a fresh start with a keeper he considers highly talented.
The decision backfired almost immediately when Kinsky slipped in the sixth minute, gifting Marcos Llorente the opening goal. His confidence appeared to evaporate instantly as Atletico's press swarmed the Spurs defence.
Kinsky's night went from bad to worse in the 15th minute when he scuffed a routine pass directly to Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker easily converted into an empty net to make it 3-0 within the first quarter of an hour.
Tudor took the rare and brutal step of subbing Kinsky off after just 17 minutes for Vicario. The young keeper was visibly distraught and walked straight down the tunnel.
Though team-mates like Cristian Romero offered support, Tudor blanked Kinsky on the touchline. He explained in his post-match press conference that he didn't want to approach Kinsky on the touchline because the young keeper was clearly distraught. He argued that if he had tried to hug Kinsky and been pushed away or ignored, it would have created a bigger scene.
Returning to the task at hand this Wednesday, Tottenham must overturn a significant three-goal deficit to keep their European season alive. While Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke grabbed goals in Madrid, the 5-2 scoreline leaves little room for error.
Spurs head into this return leg following a resilient 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. A 90th-minute equaliser from Richarlison helped snap a six-match losing streak.