Tottenham’s Champions League Hopes Crumble After Dismal Defeat to BayernTottenham’s Champions League Hopes Crumble After Dismal Defeat to Bayern Tottenham Hotspur’s aspirations of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals suffered a major setback as they were comprehensively defeated 4-1 by Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The home side dominated from the outset, with Robert Lewandowski opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Benjamin Pavard doubled their lead just before half-time, leaving Spurs reeling. Spurs showed little improvement in the second half, and Serge Gnabry made it 3-0 in the 53rd minute. Kingsley Coman added a fourth in the 70th minute to pile further misery on the London club. Son Heung-min scored a late consolation for Spurs, but it proved to be a mere footnote in a disastrous evening. Tottenham manager Antonio Conte expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance, saying: “I am very disappointed. We didn’t play well, we made many mistakes. Bayern were better than us in every aspect of the game. We have to learn from this and improve.” Spurs captain Hugo Lloris echoed Conte’s sentiments, saying: “We didn’t play at our best. Bayern were more aggressive, more intense. We didn’t create enough chances. We need to analyze this game and come back stronger in the second leg.” The result leaves Tottenham with a mountain to climb in the second leg at Wembley on March 8. They will need to overturn a three-goal deficit against a formidable Bayern side who have now won three of their last four Champions League matches. Tottenham’s defeat also raises questions about their ability to compete at the highest level. They have now lost their last three Champions League away games, conceding 11 goals in the process. If they are to challenge for major honors, they need to show greater consistency in Europe’s elite competition.
