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Football Insider

The Worst Champions League Goalkeeping Performances: A Closer Look at Kinsky, Donnarumma, Hart, Fabianski, Onana, and Karius

Antonin Kinsky's name will live in Tottenham and Champions League infamy for ever more. The Spurs goalkeeper was thrust into the line-up for Tuesday's last-16 first leg at Atletico Madrid, only to last just 17 minutes after twice gifting goals to Diego Simeone's side in what will go down as one of the worst goalkeeping performances in the history of Europe's premier club competition. Let's delve into the worst Champions League goalkeeper performances of all time, from Kinsky to Karius and more.

The Worst Champions League Goalkeeping Performances: A Closer Look at Kinsky, Donnarumma, Hart, Fabianski, Onana, and Karius

Antonin Kinsky's name will live in Tottenham and Champions League infamy for ever more. The Spurs goalkeeper was thrust into the line-up for Tuesday's last-16 first leg at Atletico Madrid, only to last just 17 minutes after twice gifting goals to Diego Simeone's side in what will go down as one of the worst goalkeeping performances in the history of Europe's premier club competition.Questions will continue to be asked of whether Igor Tudor should have entrusted the 22-year-old with such a major assignment and if he made the right call to substitute him when he did. It should also be pointed out that while Kinsky's slips were undoubtedly costly, he wasn't the only Tottenham player to lose his footing on the night as Spurs slumped to a 5-2 loss that only further darkens the mood around the relegation-threatened club.Furthermore, while Kinsky's display was truly dreadful, he is not the first 'keeper to be shown up on the biggest stage, with plenty of other recognisable names having endured nightmare Champions League nights down the years...While there have undoubtedly been worse overall performances by goalkeepers in the Champions League history, there has perhaps not been a single error which has transformed a tie - and, indeed, the whole tournament - like Gigi Donnarumma's against Real Madrid in the 2021-22 last 16.Having won the first leg at home 1-0, Kylian Mbappe's strike at the Bernabeu had put Paris Saint-Germain in prime position to knock out Los Blancos and keep the French side's hopes of a first European Cup on track. However, with 30 minutes of the tie to go, it was turned on its head.Not known for his ability with the ball at his feet, Donnarumma dallied when in possession by his own byline to the point that he was tackled by Karim Benzema. The ball squirmed to Vinicius Jr, who in turn laid it back to Benzema to score the first goal of what would turn into a match-winning hat-trick. Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar were left licking their wounds while Madrid embarked on an epic journey to lifting the trophy, led by eventual Ballon d'Or winner Benzema. But none of that would have been possible without Donnarumma's indecision inside his own penalty area.Joe Hart was memorably discarded by Pep Guardiola almost as soon as he arrived at Manchester City in 2016, and perhaps the goalkeeper's performance against the Catalan's Bayern Munich side three years earlier played some part in that decision.City were not the European force they have since become when they welcomed Bayern to the Etihad Stadium in the group stage, but they would have still fancied their chances of bloodying the German giants' noses on home soil. However, two errors by Hart helped condemn Manuel Pellegrini's side to a 3-1 defeat.Hart was twice beaten at his near post, first by a long-range Franck Ribery shot that he got a hand to but couldn't keep out, and then by Arjen Robben early in the second half as Bayern threatened to run riot. By the end, ironic cheers could be heard from within the City fans when Hart was able to hold onto a shot that was straight at him, so poor had his performance been.Before he became a dependable presence between the sticks for West Ham, Lukasz Fabianski was a young goalkeeper of some potential who mostly sat on the Arsenal bench. However, after an injury to first-choice Manuel Almunia, Fabianski was called upon to start for the Gunners in the first leg of their last-16 meeting with Porto in 2010, with disastrous consequences.Fabianski cut a nervous figure even before he lost his bearings in the 11th minute and inexplicably parried Silvestre Varela's cross into his own goal. Arsenal did muster an equaliser soon after through Sol Campbell, only for Fabianski to again make a costly error early in the second half when he picked up a Campbell back-pass to concede an indirect free-kick.Clearly shaken, the 'keeper was then caught out trying to organise his defence when Porto took the set-piece quickly, which allowed Radamel Falcao to fire into an empty net and secure a 2-1 win for the Portuguese outfit.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingManchester United made the brave decision to part with long-time No.1 David de Gea during the summer of 2023, replacing him with Andre Onana, who arrived from Inter for £43.8 million having previously played under Erik ten Hag for Ajax. However, the dye was cast for a disastrous spell at Old Trafford for the Cameroon international during the Red Devils' first Champions League game of the new season.Already facing a tough task by beginning their European campaign on the road at Bayern Munich, United fell behind when Onana allowed Leroy Sane's weak shot to wriggle underneath his body for the opening goal in what turned into a 4-3 win for the Bundesliga giants."The team went down because of that mistake," Onana admitted to TNT Sports post-match. "I have to learn, be strong and move on, although it's not an easy situation... The way I played today was one of my worst games."Unfortunately for Onana, it probably wasn't even his worst game of that group stage...Onana followed up his Bayern blunder with another error against Galatasaray on matchday two, as his poor pass out from the back led to Casemiro being sent off during the 3-2 loss at Old Trafford. He did bounce back a few weeks later, saving a last-minute penalty against Copenhagen to preserve a 1-0 win, but United's subsequent defeat in Denmark left their hopes of progression hanging by a thread heading into their trip to Istanbul in late November.Despite that pressure, Ten Hag's side went 2-0 up early on against Galatasaray, only for Onana to get his positioning all wrong to gift Hakim Ziyech a goal from a free-kick. Scott McTominay made it 3-1 soon after, but Onana's nightmare wasn't over, as he inexplicably failed to keep out another weak Ziyech set-piece, shovelling the Moroccan's low effort into his goal despite the lack of power on the shot.Galatasaray eventually earned themselves a 3-3 draw off the back of Onana's mistakes, and United crashed out two weeks later when they failed to beat Bayern on matchday six.Kinsky may have run him close, but Loris Karius' performance in the 2018 Champions League final remains the gold standard when it comes to goalkeeper meltdowns on Europe's biggest stage. It later emerged that the German suffered a concussion following a clash with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos early in the second half, which at least goes some way to explaining his awful display in Kyiv, though Liverpool fans won't forgive him that easily.Karius' nightmare began six minutes into the second half when he bizarrely threw the ball against the retreating Karim Benzema's back and was left powerless to watch it float past him and dribble into the net. Then, having been powerless to keep out Gareth Bale's remarkable overhead kick after Sadio Mane had briefly drawn the scores level, Karius proceeded to fumble an optimistic Bale effort from 30 yards that made the score 3-1 and sealed victory for Los Blancos.The Reds' shot-stopper was left in tears at full-time, and he would never play for Liverpool again.

1

Antonin Kinsky: A Miserable Night for Spurs

Antonin Kinsky's disastrous display against Atletico Madrid highlighted the pitfalls of pitting an inexperienced goalkeeper against top European competition. His errors proved costly as Tottenham slumped to a 5-2 defeat, leaving fans questioning managerial decisions and player performances.

2

Gigi Donnarumma's Costly Error Against Real Madrid

In the 2021-22 Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, Gigi Donnarumma's indecision inside his own penalty area led to a pivotal goal for Karim Benzema. This error shifted the momentum of the tie and ultimately contributed to Real Madrid's success in the tournament.

3

Joe Hart's Memorable Missteps against Bayern Munich

Joe Hart's struggles against Bayern Munich in the Champions League showcased the impact of goalkeeper errors on match outcomes. Hart's near-post concessions highlighted the importance of consistent and reliable goalkeeping at the highest level.

4

Lukasz Fabianski's Nightmare Performance for Arsenal

Lukasz Fabianski's nightmarish display for Arsenal against Porto serves as a cautionary tale of the impact of goalkeeping errors in crucial Champions League fixtures. Fabianski's mistakes cost Arsenal dearly, emphasizing the need for composure and focus in high-pressure situations.

5

Andre Onana's Struggles at Manchester United

Andre Onana's shaky start at Manchester United in the Champions League highlighted the challenges of adapting to a new club and competition. Onana's errors against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray underscored the importance of resilience and learning from mistakes in the pursuit of success.

6

Loris Karius' Infamous Champions League Final Meltdown

Loris Karius' catastrophic performance in the 2018 Champions League final remains a haunting memory for Liverpool fans. Despite later revelations of a concussion, Karius' errors against Real Madrid underscored the unforgiving nature of goalkeeping mistakes on the biggest stage.

Published on Mar 11, 2026