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.

Mourinho said: “Let’s see what happens against Barcelona. We have ambition, a semi is a semi and anything can happen.

“They have a great situation with lack of suspensions and we don’t have that. We were punished by UEFA for poor yellow cards (tonight). We have two matches against them before the semi-finals and it is time to think about them first.”

Tottenham defender Gareth Bale acknowledged Real had been the better side over both games, but also admitted defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, believing Spurs were unlucky not to have at least one penalty.

“It is hard to take, we knew before the game it would be a difficult challenge but we’ve had a great run and had a go at it,” he said.

“Sometimes they (penalty decisions) go for you and sometimes they don’t. Nobody expected us to get this far. “There is every chance (of qualifying for next year). We are only three points off Manchester City in fourth and there is still a lot to play for, we have a game in hand as well.”

Harry Redknapp insisted that after this season’s impressive showing in the Champions League, Spurs have to qualify next season to keep improving.

“It is no good doing it once and then not doing it again, we have to improve and be there next year,” he said.

“The team will give it their best shot, it is going to be tough. We have to finish above Man City and above Chelsea, that is our aim.”

For all the pre-match hope offered by Redknapp, and even the note of caution sounded by Mourinho, there was to be no heroic comeback from a Spurs side who flirted with danger in this competition once too often.

Madrid were just too good for them, clinical in the first leg and cynical in the return. They defended with vigour, disrupting Tottenham’s rhythm and dampening the enthusiasm of the home support.

Redknapp sent out an attacking side, with Aaron Lennon fit again after famously missing the first leg with illness, and Rafael Van der Vaart playing just off Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Spurs were desperate to get the early goal that would unsettle Real Madrid, but Mourinho’s sides are notoriously miserly. Apart from two early penalty appeals, both denied by Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli, Spurs did not have many clear chances.

The best of them, in a tight first half, fell to Pavlyuchenko after Van der Vaart’s clever reverse pass put Lennon away down the right in the 26th minute. The winger cut the ball back expertly into the path of the Russian 18 yards from goal, but his first-time shot flew high over the bar. When Gareth Bale did get the ball in the net after 37 minutes, it was ruled out, Modric heading back a Pavlyuchnko cross from an offside position.

Madrid were content to play keep-ball and bide their time. Ronaldo tried his luck early on, but shot wide. Gomes was called into action only once in the first half, 10 minutes before the break, when Sergio Ramos sent a header towards the corner of the goal, but Gomes got a hand to the ball.

By half-time, Mourinho must have been pleased with the way his side had approached their task, with the exception of Ricardo Carvalho, who was booked for felling Tom Huddlestone, thus ruling himself out of the semi-final first leg. But the Tottenham players and crowd had been frustrated.

Spurs started the second half with optimism. But then came the killer blow from Ronaldo, five minutes after the break. The Portuguese striker received the ball in space, 30 yards from goal. His shot was firm and dipped and swerved, but Gomes should have done better and let it squirm out of his grasp and bounce over the line.

It was the softest of goals, but the harshest of blows for Spurs.

Pavlyuchenko had another great chance six minutes later, when Van der Vaart curled in a teasing cross from the right, but the Russian put his header over the bar from close range.

Mourinho made a couple of changes, mindful of the upcoming quartet of games against Barcelona. He took off Sergio Ramos, who threw in some cynical challenges on Bale, and then replaced Ronaldo with Kaka.

The Brazilian did not take long to test Gomes, forcing his compatriot into a sprawling save with a curling shot towards the far corner of goal.

Substitute Defoe had a shot tipped away by Casillas, who then stopped a goalbound header from the England striker at close quarters.

The game ended as it had begun, with Madrid soaking up pressure and Spurs unable to break though, and even the most ardent of Tottenham supporters could not disagree that the better side had won. They applauded their team off at the end, mindful that a fantastic adventure had finally come to an end.

Subs for Spurs: Defoe for Lennon 60, Sandro for Huddlestone 70, Kranjcar for Modric 83.

Subs for Real: Granero for Ramos 56, Benzema for Alonso 75 Kaka for Ronaldo 65.