Our Champions League Awards honour the best – and worst – of the midweek last-16 action, featuring Fede Valverde, Antonin Kinsky and more.
Moment of the Week
Talk about a rough night.
Just when Tottenham thought things could not go much worse for their struggling side, they did. Spurs were three goals down inside the opening 15 minutes at Atletico Madrid, the first time that had ever happened, to any side, in a Champions League knockout game. An incredible event in itself, but Igor Tudor’s decision to substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was remarkable.
Spurs goalkeeper AntonÃn Kinský in his first Champions League start:
âž– Conceded three goals
âž– TWO mistakes leading to goals
➖ Subbed off after 17 minutes🫠pic.twitter.com/rZiB6CzVeG
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 10, 2026
The Czech was making his Champions League debut and had made glaring errors for two of the three goals, with Tudor taking him off after only 17 minutes. An extraordinary moment that summarises the chaos at Spurs right now, after a club record six straight defeats.
Player of the Week
The most underrated footballer on the planet was how Trent Alexander-Arnold described Federico Valverde this week, but the Real Madrid midfielder’s getting his flowers now.
An exceptional performance saw the stand-in captain inspire the Spanish side to a stunning win against Manchester City.
Only two players in Champions League history have scored a first-half hat-trick against an English opponent:
Lionel Messi 🆚 Arsenal in 2010
Federico Valverde 🆚 Man City in 2026 pic.twitter.com/caAlRURGbc— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2026
Valverde scored the first hat-trick of his career as Real ran riot to score three first-half goals en route to a 3-0 win.
He left Nico O’Reilly in his wake for the opener and drilled in a smart second, before completing his treble with a deft touch and finish past Marc Guehi. A world-class performance from the Uruguayan and a statement win for Los Blancos.
Goal of the Week
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deserves an honourable mention as the best player of the midweek action, having torn Chelsea apart at the Parc des Princes. The Georgian scored twice and created another as PSG punished Liam Rosenior’s side to take a commanding 5-2 lead in the tie.
Kvaratskhelia’s first was a thing of beauty, cutting inside before firing an unstoppable effort past Filip Jorgensen.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia produces a moment of magic to give PSG a 4-2 lead 🔥@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/YAjzgyfY83
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2026
Save of the Week
Thiago Pitarch owes Thibaut Courtois a big favour. The Real Madrid midfielder was bailed out badly by his goalkeeper after losing possession inside his own area. A big, big save from the Belgian, who prevented Manchester City from claiming a lifeline.
Courtois pulls off a brilliant save to deny O’Reilly 🤯@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/SZdav1skJv
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2026
Stat of the Week
What happened to the Premier League being the ‘Super League’?
2 – This is the first time that two English clubs have lost by 3+ goals on the same day in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history:
PSG 5-2 Chelsea
Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester CityHumbling. pic.twitter.com/DW4iJkw1um
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2026
A week to forget for…
Igor Tudor. The Croatian caretaker coach has featured regularly for this award in recent weeks, following a disastrous start to his tenure at Tottenham.
The club’s thumping at Atletico Madrid was the latest low for Tudor, whose side suffered from several calamities in the Spanish capital.
His decision to haul off Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes was ruthless, and it remains to be seen how it impacts the young goalkeeper in the long term. That Tudor did not acknowledge the clearly distraught goalkeeper, however, is inexcusable.
“I’ve been coaching for 15 years, I never do it like this. It was necessary to preserve the guy, preserve the team,” he explained.
Read –Â Noughties Nines: Didier Drogba – Cup final King
See more –Â Five moments that have defined Manchester City and Real Madrid’s rivalry
