Tottenham Hotspur legend Toby Alderweireld, who returned to the UEFA Champions League stage three years after the 2019/20 season, is at risk of being eliminated from the Champions League.
Royal Antwerp of Belgium lost 1-4 to FC Porto in the first leg of Group H of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage held at the Bosawill Stadium in Antwerp, Belgium on the 26th (Korean time).
Antwerp took the lead with Alhassan Yusuf's first goal in the 37th minute of the first half. Antwerp took the lead in the first half, finishing 1-0, but collapsed helplessly in the second half. Antwerp, who conceded a goal to Porto's Ivaniusson in the first minute of the second half, gave up the second goal to Steve Eustacchio in the ninth minute of the second half. Afterwards, Antwerp lost 1-4, giving up a hat trick to Ivaniusson.
Antwerp, who suffered their third consecutive loss 오피 in the Champions League due to the defeat against Porto, fell to the bottom of Group H. As a result, Alderweireld's Champions League season was in danger of ending prematurely. He played in the Champions League with Tottenham in the 2019/20 season and returned to the Champions League stage after three seasons in the 2023/24 season, but was on the verge of elimination.
Antwerp's journey, which was placed in Group H with FC Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Porto, was not smooth from the beginning. Antwerp, who lost 0-5 in the first game against Barcelona, lost 2-3 in the second game against Shakhtar in a difficult game. In the match against Shakhtar, Alderweireld suffered the pain of missing the final penalty kick in extra time of the second half.
Alderweireld, from Ajax in the Netherlands, joined Tottenham in the summer of 2015 read more after playing at Atletico Madrid and Southampton. He was Son Heung-min's motivator when he joined the team and formed an impregnable defense with Jan Vertonghen under Mauricio Pochettino. Tottenham advanced to the Champions League final for the first time in the club's history in the 2018/19 season thanks to Alderweireld's stable defense at the back.
Alderweireld, who played for Tottenham for six years, moved to Antwerp in July of last year and returned to his home country, Belgium. Last season, he scored with a dramatic mid-range shot in extra time in the second half of the final match of the Belgian league, giving the team the league title. Antwerp, which won the Belgian league for the first time in 66 years, qualified for the Champions League, but was in danger of being eliminated in the group stage.