Real White Hart Pain for Gomes

AND so the improbable proved impossible, as Tottenham failed to overturn a huge first leg lead and went out of the Champions League to nine-times winners Real Madrid.

Spurs would have needed to score four goals without reply just to take the game to penalties, but once Heurelho Gomes let a long shot from Cristiano Ronaldo slip through his grip and into the net in the 50th minute, an unlikely dream was over.

The men from Madrid now go through to an epic semi-final against Barcelona, while Tottenham now have only the race for fourth place in the Premier League, and a berth in next season’s competition, to occupy them.