MAURICIO POCHETTINO’s long wait for a goal against Real Madrid ended at the Bernabeu.
As boss of Espanyol, Pochettino endured seven matches against the Spanish giants.
He lost all of them, seeing 20 goals go in with zero for his team.
All that was forgotten in the Bernabeu as terrific Tottenham stunned mighty Madrid on their own patch in their Group H showdown.
Granted it was an own goal from French defender Raphael Varane in the 28th minute that ended Pochettino’s drought. But it was no less than super Spurs’ deserved as they stuck to their manager’s promise of having a right go at Zinedine Zidane’s Galaticos.
They were under the cosh for so much of this game but never went into their shell. Moussa Sissoko picked out the surging Serge Aurier on the overlap and his driven cross from the right was aimed at Harry Kane.
Kane tried a clever flick. It did not work but it surprised Verane who accidentally deflected in with his trailing left foot.
Pochettino sent out a side with strikers Kane and Fernando Llorente in it, shocking everyone, Madrid in particular you suspect.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was so close to giving Madrid the lead in the fourth minute. Marcelo’s sweeping ball picked out 18-year-old rookie Achraf Hakimi on the opposite flank and he crossed for Ronaldo.
He beat Toby Alderweireld easily in the air and smacked a header against Hugo Lloris’ left post, with Karim Benzema fluffing the rebound.
In the 17th minute Ronaldo somehow conjured some space and drilled a right-foot shot just wide of Lloris’ right post.
Two minutes later Spurs amost scored. Christian Eriksen’s corner from the right was perfect for Kane to charge at.
He outmuscled Casemiro to power a header into the ground. Unluckily for him it was too close to Keylor Navas who was able to tip over.
Two minutes after the opener, Aurier drilled a low shot from 20 yards which was creeping in at the far corner until Navas stretched to tip round for a corner.
Then Isco wriggled to shot at goal with his left foot from ten yards but Lloris was alert, pushing round for a corner.
Ronaldo was booked in the 32nd minute for what looked like a slap, with Jan Vertonghen the victim. He was perhaps lucky the card wasn’t a red one.
Benzema flopped again when a superb inviting, inswinging ball from former Spurs star Luka Modric begged to be glanced home. But he failed to get enough purchase on the ball, deflecting it the wrong side of the far post.
In the 42nd minute Aurier undid all his good work. Having felt he had been fouled, he gave the ball away then in trying to recover, when Benzema played Toni Kroos in as he dashed into the box, he lunged in an brought down the German.
Ronaldo’s penalty a minute later flashed into the net, with Lloris going the wrong way.
It certainly was not proving to be Benzema’s night. In the 54th minute Casemiro’s cross saw him inside the eight yard box and the ball their to be headed in.
But his effort hit Lloris’ outstretched left leg as he dived. Zidane could not believe it.
The outstanding Lloris was superb again in the 63rd minute sending out a strong left hand to deflect over a rasping half-volley from Ronaldo, who was left shaking his head. He denied the Portuguese star again two minutes later.
Kane and Eriksen were denied late on but it was still Spurs’ night.
Cristiano Ronaldo launches into rant at Real Madrid team-mate.