MADRID: Atletico Madrid took advantage of error-strewn Tottenham in the Champions League to rack up a 5-2 last 16 first leg victory on Tuesday.
The Premier League side fell 4-0 down inside 22 minutes with three glaring mistakes, including two by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, leading to the hosts’ first three goals at the Metropolitano stadium.
Julian Alvarez netted twice for Diego Simeone’s side, with Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann and Robin Le Normand also on target in the Spanish capital.
Pedro Porro pulled one back for the visitors and Dominic Solanke added another as they fell to a sixth straight defeat across all competitions but salvaged a shred of hope for the second leg.
Interim Spurs coach Igor Tudor said he was approaching the game as a chance to try and come up with solutions to the team’s many problems, with the club’s main focus on avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
The Croatian selected 22-year-old Czech goalkeeper Kinsky over Guglielmo Vicario, for his first appearance since last October, with the north London side having conceded two goals in each of the nine prior Premier League matches.
The decision could not have backfired quicker, with Kinsky slipping as he tried to pass the ball out from the back, giving it straight to Ademola Lookman.
The Nigeria winger found Alvarez who squared for Llorente to stroke home after just six minutes — four minutes longer than it took them to concede against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final at the same stadium.
In what fast became a comedy of errors for those watching on, including former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs then conceded two goals in two minutes to fall three behind.
Micky van de Ven fell over, allowing Griezmann to run through on goal and net Atletico’s second, before Kinsky committed another grievous mistake.
The goalkeeper, making his debut in the competition, miskicked a pass and the ball fell for Alvarez to run it into an empty net.
Tudor took action, replacing Kinsky with Vicario after 17 minutes, with Atletico’s fans jubilantly applauding off the devastated goalkeeper.
Vicario made a brilliant save to keep Pape Sarr’s header out of his own goal but Le Normand was on home to nod home the rebound for Atletico’s fourth inside 22 minutes.
Four minutes later Pedro Porro hit back after combining with Richarlison to stem the tide.
Vicario denied Lookman, Llorente fired wide and Cristian Romero nodded against the post at the other end as a wild first half came to a close without further goals.
Spurs salvage slim hope
Tudor sent on Conor Gallagher at half-time against his former side, with Atletico fans giving the midfielder a warm reception.
They were cheering even louder a few minutes later as Alvarez put away the fifth when Griezmann sent him scuttling through on goal on the counter, after Jan Oblak saved superbly from Richarlison.
Spurs pulled another one back when Atletico stopper Oblak made a mistake of his own with a poor pass straight to Porro, and substitute Dominic Solanke rifled home.
Despite an improved showing after the break there was no way back on the night for Spurs, who have lost all four matches since Tudor replaced Thomas Frank in February and are 16th in the Premier League.
Solanke’s goal gave them a lifeline in the tie but their upcoming Premier League matches against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, either side of the second leg, are the clear priority with top flight survival on the line.
Atletico have bigger aspirations, having finished as runners-up in the 2014 and 2016 finals, and are desperate to win the competition for the first time.
Atletico capitalize on Tottenham’s Champions League nightmare
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Atletico capitalize on Tottenham’s Champions League nightmare
- Julian Alvarez netted twice for Diego Simeone’s side, with Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann and Robin Le Normand also on target in the Spanish capital
Yamal penalty rescues Barca from defeat at Newcastle
- The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: Lamine Yamal’s penalty with the last kick of the game rescued Barcelona from defeat at Newcastle in a 1-1 Champions League last 16, first leg draw on Tuesday.
The Magpies were headed for a night to savour at St. James’ Park when Harvey Barnes opened the scoring on 86 minutes.
Yamal had been a peripheral figure but showed the composure of one of the world’s best players from the spot after Dani Olmo was tripped by Malick Thiaw deep into stoppage time.
The Liga champions still have work to do when the sides meet again on March 18, but will leave Tyneside relieved after a sub-par performance from Hansi Flick’s side.
Newcastle’s bid to make the quarter-finals for the first time was dealt a blow before kick-off when Anthony Gordon was forced to start on the bench due to illness.
Only Kylian Mbappe has scored more than Gordon’s 10 Champions League goals this season and the England international’s threat was badly missed as Newcastle a[pplied early pressure.
Eddie Howe had billed this game as the biggest in the club’s history and the desire to make amends for a FA Cup exit to Manchester City and a dissapointing Premier League season showed.
Howe made a bold choice with Gordon’s replacement as William Osula came in at the expense of club record signing Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa up front.
Osula’s pace troubled Barca’s high defensive line early on, but Newcastle’s best attempt to break the deadlock before half-time came from a corner.
Joan Garcia spilled his attempt to save Sandro Tonali’s header and needed to be rescued by a goal-line clearance from Pau Cubarsi.
The home side continued to press for a breakthrough in the second period.
Anthony Elanga should have picked out Barnes for a simple finish when his low cross was cut out by Garcia.
It took nearly 70 minutes for the visitors to create a clear sight of goal when Robert Lewandowski prodded wide from Raphinha’s cross.
That was Lewandowski’s final act as he was replaced by Marcus Rashford, who scored twice when the sides met at St. James’ Park in the League Phase.
Howe also turned to his bench in search of a winner with Gordon among those introduced.
The offside flag came to Barca’s aid when Joelinton thought he had opened the scoring after Barnes struck the post.
The visitors’ desire just to see the game out at 0-0 was evidenced when Ronald Araujo tried to hold up play by rolling back on the field after going down injured.
Italian referee Marco Guida refused to let the Uruguayan defender immediately back onto the field and Newcastle took full advantage as Barnes was unmarked at the back post, where Araujo should have been, to convert Jacob Murphy’s cross.
Much of Newcastle’s fine work was undone by one mistake as Thiaw flicked out a leg to bring down the jinking Olmo inside the box.
Yamal coolly sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to leave Newcastle needing heroics in the Camp Nou next week to reach the last eight.
