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| Crouch's red card gave Tottenham a mountain to climb |
Tottenham went into Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid full of optimism. This was the game they felt they were truly going to show the world what they were made of.
But within 15 minutes, all the meticulous planning and work put into the game were thrown out of the window.
Already reeling after Emmanuel Adebayor's free header somehow got through Heurelho Gomes and Luka Modric and gave Real the lead, Peter Crouch foolishly picked up two bookings in a matter of minutes to give Tottenham an impossible task.
The first one is understandable. His side had just gone a goal down and Crouch wanted to make his mark on the game, to prove Tottenham were still in the game. He mis-timed the challenge and deserved the yellow card, but showed enthusiasm and a willingness to work hard.
The second one, though, almost a carbon copy of the first, was just ridiculous.
The last thing you want to do after picking up a booking is dive into a rash challenge. Don't give the referee any excuse to send you off.
The moment Crouch left the ground, the rest was inevitable. He thoroughly deserved the two bookings and only has himself to blame.
At first glance, it could have been argued to book Crouch twice was harsh.
But on second viewing, the referee got it spot-on and should be applauded for making a decision he knew may have ruined the game.
Marcelo's reaction to the sending off was disgusting.
Inside, any player would be happy the opposition have been reduced to ten men.
But it is an unwritten rule in football that you just don't show such outward emotion in such situations as a matter of respect to the opposition and to show your intention was not to get the player sent off.
The referee should have brandished Marcelo a yellow card for unsporting conduct as his fist-pump reaction, accompanied with the smug look on his face, was just unacceptable.
As for the rest of the game, it was just a matter of how many Real would score.
Gareth Bale did have a key chance at 1-0, shooting into the side netting when through on goal, but other than that Spurs offered very little going forward.
Tottenham did excellently to hold Madrid to 1-0 until half-time, with Michael Dawson typically brilliant, but after the break tiredness set in and there was only one outcome.
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| Adebayor has a terrific scoring record against Tottenham |
For the first, Jermaine Jenas completely lost Adebayor and gave him a free header, with the decision to leave Jenas marking arguably Madrid's best header questionable.
For the second, no-one at all picked up Adebayor, meaning he had all the time in the world to hit a powerful and well-placed header.
Spurs defenders then backed off Angel Di Maria, who punished them by unleashing a piledriver of a shot into the top corner with the goal of the game.
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| Ronaldo's goal capped a nightmare night for Tottenham |
But this whole game, indeed tie, rested on the Crouch sending off.
It is too simplistic to say that cost Spurs the game, but it is fair to say that Crouch would have offered them an out-ball and a more realistic chance of scoring, while enjoying the benefits of having 11 men on the pitch.
In a similar way to Robin van Persie's sending off for Arsenal at Barcelona, we will never know what might have happened if he wasn't sent off.
Real would probably have went on to win the game, but Spurs would have fancied their chances of an away goal to give them a real chance in the second leg. This game could have been 2-1 or even 3-1, which would have kept them right in the tie.
As it is now though, the tie is all but over.
In years gone by, you may have given Spurs a (very) outside chance of the comeback as Real used to be something of a soft touch. This was demonstrated a few years back when Liverpool beat them 4-0 at Anfield.
But this is Mourinho's Real.
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| Mourinho won the Champions League for Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010 |
Mourinho is the manager of his generation and looks a decent bet to win the Champions League for a third different club this season.
His antics are great for the game as he gets people, even non-football supporters, talking about the game and generally interested in it.
The day he comes back to England can not come soon enough.
Real will be very difficult to beat and if they can somehow overcome their great rivals Barcelona they will take some beating in the final at Wembley.
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| Redknapp and Mourinho have stated their mutual admiration for each other |
They have been the story of the Champions League this season and ought to be proud of themselves.
They have put their club on the map and played wonderful, attractive football.
They deserve one more glory, glory night at White Hart Lane and any win in the second leg will give them a great send-off.
As for Tuesday's other quarter-final, it was a major surprise to see Schalke beat Inter Milan 5-2 at the San Siro.
Sides just don't concede five goals at home at this stage of the Champions League, let alone Italian sides, let alone the defending champions, so the Germans deserve tremendous credit for putting Inter to the sword.
Inter are not a strong side and were there for the taking, showing the frailties of Italian football right now.
They won the Champions League for one reason and one reason only last season: Mourinho.
Without him, they are a shadow of the side they were and it says something that the 11th best side in Germany were able to win by three goals at the San Siro.
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| Stankovic's stunner will go down as one of the best in Champions League history |
They were well beaten and, similarly to Tottenham, it will take a miracle for them to reach the semi-finals.
It's just a shame for the competition both ties are effectively over.
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