Tottenham lost 3-2 away to Galatasaray and finished the match with 10 men.
Ange Postecoglou’s rejigged defence gifted Galatasaray endless opportunities in a harrowing showdown, marred by Dejan Kulusevski’s agonising miss in the dying moments that nearly salvaged a point for Tottenham.
The Swedish substitute failed to hit the target in the 93rd minute with Galatasaray’s goalkeeper Fernando Muslera stranded – capping off a night where Spurs could have embarrassingly conceded into double digits against the Turkish titans who amassed 29 shots.
Despite Tottenham’s sloppy performance and missed chances from the opposition that bordered on comical, the Premier League side narrowly avoided utter humiliation. Victor Osimhen capitalised on Spurs’ incessant blunders with a brace before halftime, shadowing Yunus Akgun’s sublime six-minute opener.
Although youngster Will Lankshear struck gold with his maiden senior goal before receiving his marching orders at the hour mark, it was evident Postecoglou’s backup defence was out of their depth in what was billed as Tottenham’s sternest test.
That is despite three initial victories offering some leeway for an injury and illness-hit squad. The defensive naivety, from opening whistle to the crushing finale, left the coach deeply concerned.
Postecoglou lamented his team’s generosity, stating bluntly, “It was self-inflicted,” pinpointing their habit of relinquishing possession.
“It was self-inflicted,” Postecoglou said. “The moments that stick out to me was giving the ball away.”
The hotly-tipped Osimhen could have walked away with a double hat-trick had he not been thwarted by Fraser Forster, the offside flag and some rare wayward attempts.
His brace came thanks to defensively shambolic play that wouldn’t pass in Sunday league football, especially from Radu Dragusin, who crumbled under pressure, setting up Osimhen’s opener.
The Romanian defender was also caught flat-footed when Osimhen breezed by for his second after a slick pass from Dries Mertens. “In the first half we gave the ball away too much,” lamented Postecoglou.
“We lacked composure and we allowed Galatasaray to get a foothold in the game and we paid the price for that.”
Forster seemed to be the only player on the visiting team worth his salt as a half-time switch, which saw captain Heung-min Son withdrawn, did little to stem the tide of Galatasaray’s relentless assault post-break.
After a flurry of chances for Galatasary and a stunning though ultimately fruitless strike by Akgun, the scale of their impending victory seemed immeasurable.
Lankshear’s rash two yellow cards in seven minutes were unnecessary. With a crafty flick from a Pedro Porro service, Dominic Solanke breathed an unexpected, if unmerited, sign of hope into the final 20 minutes.
Galatasaray squandered numerous opportunities before Kulusevski’s ambitious long-range effort sailed wide, following Muslera’s daring 25-yard dash off his line to head away a through ball.