Tottenham’s late collapse saw them blow a 2-0 UEFA Super Cup lead with five minutes to play as Paris Saint-Germain snatched the first European trophy of the season on penalties in Udine.
Set-piece goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero either side of half-time had looked set to give Thomas Frank a dream start in his first competitive game as Spurs boss, with a heroic defensive performance keeping the Champions League winners at bay for much of the game in Italy.
But as Frank’s side tired while PSG were rejuvenated by the introduction of Fabian Ruiz in particular, their backline was finally breached in the dying minutes as fellow substitute Kang-In Lee rifled in from the edge of the box.
Tottenham still looked likely to hold on for a second trophy in less than three months with their advantage still in tact until the 94th minute – when Goncalo Ramos’ stooping header sent the game to the lottery of penalties.
True to form, Spurs took the lead in the shoot-out after Vitinha missed PSG’s first kick, but once Van de Ven and Mathys Tel both failed to score from 12 yards, Nuno Mendes stepped up to cement their heartbreak as the French champions bounced back from their Club World Cup final defeat exactly a month ago by the barest of margins.
