Tottenham’s UEFA Youth League hopes for the season are over after clinical Porto proved too strong in this quarter-final tie.

First-half goals from Diogo Leite — with plenty of help from the boot of Oliver Skipp — and Santiago Irala Vera inflicted too much damage and Spurs couldn’t find a route back.

It had been hoped that Spurs would be one of three English sides among the Youth League semi-finalists in Nyon, Switzerland next month.

Now there can only be a maximum of two from these shores. We’re guaranteed one because Manchester City play Liverpool on Wednesday afternoon, while two-time winners Chelsea will play Real Madrid.

But we won’t have Tottenham, beaten here by a Porto side who seized opportunities when they presented themselves, before using some impressive street smarts to shut the game down after the break.

Though this is the end of their Youth League campaign, Spurs will be able to reflect on a season of progress in the continental under-19 competition.

They topped a group that contained Real Madrid, beating them 3-2 at home in a classic contest, and defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-0 at home and 3-1 away.

Their penalty shoot-out win over Monaco in the last round, meanwhile, proved these kids can go the distance.

But this was a match too far. Porto, who eliminated reigning champions Red Bull Salzburg in the last-16, now go into the Youth League semi-finals for the first time - and with confidence.

As it turned out, both teams were tentative early on, leading to a scrappy opening half-hour with chances at a minimum.

The best opening fell to Spurs striker Paris Maghoma, whose deflected edge-of-the-box shot may have been spinning in, Porto keeper Diogo Costa not willing to find out as he punched it round the post.

As the minutes passed, the value of the opening goal increased and it was the visitors who seized the initiative just after the half-hour.

Captain Paulo Estrela swung in a corner to the back post, where Leite rose highest to meet it with a powerful downward header.

It was heading for a cluster of Spurs defenders, barely on target, until Skipp instinctively threw out a leg and accidentally guided it past his own keeper. Leite led the celebrations, but could’t really claim it.

Things got worse for Spurs 10 minutes later. Skipp tried to play a ball out wide but it was straight at Madi Queta and he played a through pass into Irala, who’d made a dart for the box.

Skipp tried a recovery challenge but failed and Irala’s strike went under keeper Brandon Austin and trickled over the line.

Spurs needed a morale-boosting goal early in the second-half but the best they could muster was a Tariq Hinds shot wide and a Sam Shashoua free-kick curled over.

They tried to step up the pressure but were continuously rebuffed by Porto, whose game management was spot on. The visitors carried an ever-present threat on the counter, too, meaning Spurs couldn’t fully commit.

Queta forced a diving save from Austin from one such attack with 20 minutes remaining.

Costa tried his best to help Spurs back into the contest, spilling the ball twice in quick succession only for his defenders to bail him out with six-yard box clearances.

But Tottenham’s fight had long since faded away. To compound matters, George Marsh was shown a second yellow card deep into stoppage time for barging into Costa, a signal of their frustration.