Tottenham Hotspur decided to start Antonin Kinsky against Atletico Madrid in the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League tonight.Â
It has been a disastrous season for Tottenham, and things went from bad to worse for them after they conceded three times in the opening 15 minutes of the game against the La Liga outfit. The decision to start Kinsky looked like a blunder, and Igor Tudor decided to replace him after just 15 minutes, in favour of Guglielmo Vicario.
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Kinsky was clearly lacking in confidence, and he should not have been handed a start here. The manager’s decision will leave the goalkeeper humiliated, and his confidence is likely to plummet further.
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Kinsky straight down the tunnel followed by Palhinha, Gallagher and Solanke to try and console him. Never, ever seen anything like this.
— Jason Burt (@JBurtTelegraph) March 10, 2026
Tottenham is currently 4-1 down at halftime, with Pedro Porro scoring a consolation goal in the first half. It will be interesting to see if they can turn things around in the second half and salvage some pride.
But the tie already looks beyond them, and they will need a special performance to book their place in the next round of the competition.
Tottenham are currently fighting for survival in the Premier League. They have done well in the European competition, so far, but the performance against Atletico Madrid has been disastrous in the first half.
Progressing in the UEFA Champions League could have given them a much-needed confidence boost. However, they will need a strong performance in the second half to stay in the tie for the second leg.
Meanwhile, Vicario has also been heavily criticised this season for his inconsistent performances. The Italian has also been linked with an exit from the club. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham decide to replace him in the summer and bring in an upgrade.
