Back-to-back Champions League winners Real Madrid have suffered their first group-stage defeat in the competition in five years by falling to a 3-1 reverse against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
The Spanish giants found themselves three goals down on an incredible night at Wembley Stadium, before Cristiano Ronaldo pulled one back late on to blemish what was otherwise a perfect 90-minute performance from the hosts.
Madrid, who last tasted defeat at this stage of the competition 30 matches ago, have now suffered successive defeats in all competitions and the pressure is slowly beginning to build on boss Zinedine Zidane, five months on from winning a European and domestic double.
Spurs, on the other hand, can look forward to a place in the last 16 of the competition with two matches to spare, getting over the line thanks to a couple of goals from returning midfielder Dele Alli and a third from Christian Eriksen.
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The first half proved to be as end-to-end as many predicted, with both keepers being forced into action on a regular basis as they made nine saves between them.
All of three minutes had passed before the first of those on-target attempts arrived, as Isco was given a chance to take range after the hosts' defenders backed off him a little too much.
Leading scorer Harry Kane, deemed fit enough to start tonight after sitting out the last two games, tested stand-in stopper Kiko Casilla for the first time with an audacious chipped effort, while Harry Winks initially fluffed his lines from 10 yards out but redeemed himself by getting a shot away from a tighter angle.
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Spurs were very much the side on top as the half-hour mark approached and, despite losing Toby Alderweireld to an apparent hamstring injury, they found a breakthrough goal through Alli's close-range finish following a fizzed cross from an offside Kieran Trippier down the right-hand side.
Los Blancos, who have failed to score in just one of their last 83 matches overall, responded well as Casemiro and Ronaldo both had shots kept out.
Karim Benzema should have done better when getting in behind, only to rather blast his attempted pass into the path of Ronaldo who could not adjust his feet, but the Frenchman almost redeemed himself soon after with a strong attempt from 20 yards that compatriot Hugo Lloris was again there to keep out.
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Spurs had a couple of opportunities of their own to add a second of the evening, though, both falling to Kane - swiping a volley on target and then having a shot from closer range superbly blocked by Sergio Ramos.
Zidane tweaked things slightly at the midway point by shunting Casemiro into the backline and pushing his two wide defensive players further up the field, which almost paid instant dividends as Marcelo got in behind but saw his cross intercepted by Eric Dier before Ronaldo could convert.
The reigning Spanish and European champions still looked sloppy at the back, though, proving to be their downfall 10 minutes into the second half as Alli this time sent a shot flying past Casilla via a big deflection off Madrid skipper Ramos.
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Much like after the first goal, the Spaniards woke up a little by testing Lloris through a Toni Kroos drive and, from the resulting corner, perhaps should have had one back as a couple of shots were stopped on the line in a real scramble.
Spurs were happy to pick off their opponents on the counter and they had a third of the evening 65 minutes in, with Eriksen keeping his cool to tuck the ball past Casilla after being played through by Kane - his first Champions League goal for the club.
On a famous night for the Lilywhites, Alli should have added a fourth when failing to keep his header on target, and they were then given something to think about late on.
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A 111th Champions League goal for Ronaldo restored just a little hope for the 12-time European champions, blasting past Lloris with 10 minutes to go after the ball bounced around inside the box.
Despite some late pressure the second goal did not arrive for Zidane's men, who are still almost certain of a place in the next round but have work to do to finish top of the Group H standings.
Daniel Lewis
