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In the wake of a challenging debut for young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, seasoned shot-stopper David de Gea has stepped forward to offer support. Kinsky’s first appearance in the UEFA Champions League was marred by a difficult performance during Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Atlético Madrid, which ended in a heavy defeat.
Kinsky, who was unexpectedly selected to start over Guglielmo Vicario, found himself substituted after just 17 minutes, having conceded three early goals in the first leg of the last-16 tie. This rough start contributed to Spurs’ eventual 5-2 loss in Madrid.
The 22-year-old’s tough outing began with a slip while attempting to play out from the back, resulting in Marcos Llorente scoring the opener in the sixth minute. Just minutes later, Antoine Griezmann capitalized on another defensive slip to double Atlético’s lead. Kinsky’s woes continued as a misplaced pass paved the way for Julián Álvarez to notch a third goal shortly after.
Early mistakes punish Spurs
Kinsky slipped while attempting to play out from the back, allowing Marcos Llorente to open the scoring in the sixth minute.
Antoine Griezmann doubled Atlético’s advantage eight minutes later after another defensive error, before Kinsky’s misplaced pass gifted Julián Álvarez a third goal shortly after.
Head coach Igor Tudor reacted quickly by replacing Kinsky with Vicario, but the damage had already been done. Vicario conceded again just minutes after coming on as Atlético surged to a four-goal lead.
De Gea urges goalkeeper to stay strong
Following the match, De Gea took to X (formerly Twitter) to support the young goalkeeper and emphasised the mental demands of the position.
“No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position,” he wrote. “Keep your head up and you will go again.”
The former Manchester United shot-stopper knows the pressures of elite football, having experienced both highs and lows during his 12-year spell at Old Trafford.
Hart also sympathises with Kinsky
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart also expressed sympathy for the Spurs keeper while speaking on TNT Sports.
“I’ve been trying to make sense of it, and my overriding feeling is that my heart is absolutely broken for the lad,” Hart said.
“I’m not making excuses for him, he’s had a horrible 14 minutes. The slip and that third goal were everything he didn’t want to happen.”