Champions League group B
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Bayern Munich 7
This was humiliation on a scale Tottenham fans couldn’t have imagined in their worst nightmares.
Not only were they battered black and blue by Bayern Munich, but four of the Germans’s seven goals were scored by Serge Gnabry – an ex-Arsenal player.
He later reminded Spurs of that fact, tweeting “North London is Red”, a reference to the colour of Arsenal and Bayern’s shirts.
Boo boys
No wonder the Tottenham faithful booed off their boys at the final whistle, a horrible sound to hear in their spanking new stadium.
It opened for business only in April, a few weeks before Spurs appeared in the Champions League final, but how distant those days now seem.
Knocked out of the Carabao Cup last week by League Two Colchester, off the pace in the Premier League, Spurs are joint bottom of their Champions League pool – and we’re only in the second day of October.
“I told you many weeks ago that this is going to be a tough season,” said a dazed Mauricio Pochettino in the post-match press conference.
“After the final of the Champions League last season it was a chapter closed and now the club is in a period when they need to open another chapter and decide a project – medium, long-term.”
Morale in bits
Decisions may soon need to be made by Pochettino, and the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, as to whether the Argentine is the right man to continue as manager.
Last week Pochettino spoke of divisions within the squad and the low morale was laid bare in the second half as Tottenham capitulated.
Having gone in 2-1 down at the interval, Tottenham conceded two in quick succession in the second half, both to Gnabry.
Although Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot on the hour mark to reduce the scoreline to 4-2, the Germans applied a devastating coup de grace in the final ten minutes, scoring three times, two from Gnabry and another from Robert Lewandowski to go with his first-half effort.
Gave up
“The feeling at the end when we conceded the three goals – it was like the team was tired and gave up a little bit,” admitted Pochettino.
Asked how he can turn around a season that so far has brought Tottenham three victories in ten games in all competitions, he replied: “You need to show your quality like a man first; to face [the defeat] like a professional, like a man. What comes after is the professional side.
“Now we need to be men and be strong all together; try to bounce back and change the feeling.”
Reactions to Bayern’s battering of Spurs
Henry Winter, The Times
“Pochettino faces a huge decision: does he make himself central to the robust response that Spurs must make after the worst home result in their 137-year history or does he take the easy way out, through the exit.”
Barney Ronay, The Guardian
“The Tottenham defence collapsed like an overly dunked digestive.”
John Cross, Daily Mirror
“Tottenham were carved open by Bayern Munich with worrying ease, their capitulation deserves to raise serious questions.”
Dave Kidd, The Sun
“This used to be a team with an extraordinary workrate and team spirit. There was little sign of those qualities in the second half last night. You simply could not escape from the prevailing early-season theme at this club – of a squad and a manager who have gone stale.”
Gary Lineker on Twitter
“Credit where it’s due: @FCBayernEN have been sensational and their finishing a thing of beauty. A devastating and damaging destruction of last season’s finalist.”
Bayern star Serge Gnabry on Twitter
“North London is RED!!!”
Today’s back pages
Seven and hell for humiliated Tottenham
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Tuesday 1 October: matchday two results
Group A
- Real Madrid 2 Club Brugge 2
- Galatasaray 0 Paris Saint Germain 1
Group B
- Red Star Belgrade 3 Olympiakos 1
- Tottenham Hotspur 2 Bayern Munich 7
Group C
- Atalanta 1 Shakhtar Donetsk 2
- Manchester City 2 Dinamo Zagreb 0
Group D
- Juventus 3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0
- Lokomotiv Moscow 0 Atlético Madrid 2
Wednesday 2 October: matchday two fixtures
Group E
Group F
- Slavia Prague vs. Borussia Dortmund (5.55pm, live on BT Sport ESPN)
- Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (8pm, live on BT Sport ESPN)
Group G
- RB Leipzig vs. Lyon (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 3)
- Zenit St Petersburg vs. Benfica (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 4)
Group H
- Lille vs. Chelsea (8pm, live on BT Sport 2)
- Valencia vs. Ajax (8pm, live on BT Sport Extra 2)
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For analysis of the biggest sport stories – and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news – try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues free
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