The Champions League match between Atlético de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur started in a way nobody could have ever predicted. Atleti went 3-0 in 15 minutes, 4-1 at halftime, and the first three goals for the local team were caused by slips.
Two of those, the 1-0 and 3-0, were clear mistakes by Antonín Kinský, the 23-year-old Czech goalkeeper, who works as substitute for Tottenham, but was strangely chosen by Igor Tudor for the Champions League tie against Atleti, knowing that their focus is surviving this season in Premier League.
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The third goal by Julián Álvarez came when Kinský awkwardly attempted to clear a back-pass, but failed to even hit the ball, and Álvarez was quick to steal the ball and simply let it move, gently pushing it into the goal. The goal happened only seconds after the second goal, caused by a similar mistake by Spurs captain Micky van de Ven.
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After 15 minutes, Igor Tudor said that it was enough, and substituted Kinský for their starting goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario. Kinsky went straight into the dressing room, and was followed by many of his teammates at the bench, to comfort the young goalkeeper, who was making his Champions League debut, but the night turned into a nightmare.
The moment when Kinský went to the dressing room with tears in his eyes, applauded by the whole Metropolitano stadium, empathising with the shame caused by his substitution, is one of the images of the matchday. Many fans are now criticising Tudor's decision of subbing the young player after 15 minutes and his two unfortunate mistakes.
Atleti ended up winning 5-2 to get closer to a quarter-final match against Newcastle or Barcelona, who ended 1-1 at the same time.