Villarreal keeper’s incredible blunder gifted Spurs win but where does it rank among all-time Champions League howlers?

TOTTENHAM fans couldn’t believe their eyes as Villarreal’s Luiz Junior shovelled Lucas Bergvall’s fourth-minute cross into his own net to hand Tottenham a winning start to their Champions League campaign.

Plenty of pundits and supporters alike suggested it was the they’d ever seen in Europe’s biggest competition.

Tottenham defeated Villarreal thanks to Luiz Junior’s own goal Manchester United loanee Andre Onana also suffered a nightmare against Bayern Munich Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma committed a howler when playing for Paris Saint-Germain Ex-Liverpool ace Loris Karius struggled in the Champions League final against Real Madrid

But the Brazilian gloveman, on his debut, actually joined a less-than-illustrious list of jeepers keepers.

SunSport analyses what Junior did wrong – and how he joined the hateful eight we think are the all-time howlers.

Luiz Junior
Tottenham v VILLARREAL 2025

Even boss Thomas Frank was stunned to see his side take their game-winning early lead in N17.

Bergvall, fed by Pedro Porro, was looking to find Richarlison, only for the visiting keeper to make what seemed an easy gather.

But with Richarlison on the slide behind him, Junior somehow contrived to let the ball hit his elbow and roll painfully slowly back over the line. Astonishing.

Paulo Gazzaniga
GIRONA v Paris-Saint-Germain 2024

The Spanish new boys had withstood everything the money-laden French champions could throw at them for 90 minutes, only for former Spurs keeper Gazzaniga to throw away all that hard work.

Left-back Nuno Mendes went past his man and crossed low into the six-yard box.

Without a PSG attacking in hailing distance, it was a simple one to field only for Gazzaniga to let the ball through his legs and deflect in off his left heel. Shocker.

Andre Onana
Bayern Munich v MANCHESTER UNITED 2023

Plenty of fans were happy to see Onana leave for Trabzonspor on loan last week – and this was one of the blunders that helped cement the Cameroonian’s reputation as a disaster in waiting.

United had started well in the Allianz Arena but Onana dived all over a soft 18-yarder from ex-Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, with Munich going on to win 4-3.

Onana conceded: “I let the team down. We lost because of me.” Sadly, not for the last time.

Edouard Mendy
CHELSEA v Real Madrid 2022

Senegalese keeper Mendy never really recovered from this Stamford Bridge shocker.

were already trailing 2-1 when Mendy came 40 yards out of his goal to make a short pass to Antonio Rudiger.

Instead, he played it too softly, allowing Karim Benzema to steal in and roll the ball into the empty net to complete his hat-trick. Despite going three up in Madrid, Chelsea were eliminated.

Gianluigi Donnarumma
Real Madrid v PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2022

The French side were in control in the Santiago Bernabeu Last 16 tie when now-City keeper Donnarumma spent an age dealing with a back pass, allowing Benzema to close him down.

It saw his desperate attempt to clear the ball skewing off his right foot and across the goal to Vinicius Jr, who gave Benzema an easy tap-in.

Donnarumma admitted it was not “easy” to recover from his costly cock-up.

Sven Ulrich
Real Madrid v BAYERN MUNICH 2018

Maybe it’s just a Benzema thing and he puts a hex on keepers, but this one by Bayern’s stand-in in the semi-final second leg was an absolute doozy.

A minute after half-time, with Bayern undeservedly trailing by a single goal on aggregate, Corentin Tolisso played a slightly short back pass.

Ulrich, though, panicked, sliding to try to hack away and missing the ball completely, letting French striker Benzema walk the ball home.

John Lukic
Rangers v LEEDS 1992

Victory in this two-legged affair would have put Leeds into the eight-team format but despite a brilliant Gary McAllister volley Lukic’s horror moment turned the tie.

Ian Durrant played a left-wing corner into the box and Lukic came with two fists to punch the ball away.

Instead, he timed it wrongly, with the ball rebounding off his right wrist in the other direction to level it up for the Scottish champions, who won on the night through Ally McCoist before another 2-1 win at Elland Road.

Loris Karius
LIVERPOOL v Ream Madrid 2018

The ultimate stage for the ultimate error – and fittingly it was that man Benzema who profited once again for SunSport’s winner – or loser, take your pick – of all-time howlers.

Toni Kroos’ ball for Benzema was overhit and gathered by Karius but his attempt to bowl the ball out saw the Madrid man stick out a right leg and watch as the ball pinged back all the way from the edge of the box into the net.

Gareth Bale’s sensational overhead kick guaranteed Madrid’s glory moment but Karius was never allowed to forget his nightmare.

However, it was later revealed that Karius had suffered a concussion in the early stages of the final.