Tottenham shift their focus from their relegation battle to a monumental task ahead as they travel to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
Diego Simeone will have been delighted to get past the tricky Club Brugge fixture in the playoff round for the round of 16. After an entertaining 3-3 draw away in Belgium, Alexander Sorloth’s hat-trick in the second leg in Madrid inspired Atletico Madrid to go through with a 7-4 aggregate scoreline and set up a UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie with Tottenham Hotspur.
There is a lot to take away from Atletico Madrid’s games before this upcoming round of 16 clash with Tottenham, as they have conceded more goals than any of the other top-16 side. Los Rojiblancos have shipped a lot of goals of late, including in their 3-0 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, but they went through courtesy of their 4-0 win in the first leg against the Catalans.
Simeone has overseen a lot of mixed results this season, with the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League representing the only realistic pieces of silverware they can achieve. He will certainly hope to get past Spurs over the two-legged round of 16 clash and add to their woes, although this game could prove tricky.
Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Igor Tudor will be relieved to shift focus from the pressures of the Premier League and the relegation race they are currently in. The Champions League brings a new challenge in itself, but one in which Spurs have been shining this season, as their fourth-placed finish in the league phase suggests.
The North Londoners have been a different animal in the continental tournament this term, but the pressure during the league phase is completely different from what they are about to experience. Their two wins in 2026 came in the Champions League, both identical 2-0 victories over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, at home and away respectively.
Ahead of this big Champions League round of 16 clash in Madrid, Tottenham have drawn one and lost five in a row since their win over Eintracht Frankfurt. There is a lot of pressure to perform in this competition and help Tudor build some momentum ahead of their big league game against Liverpool at the weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will be happy with his squad availability, with only two major fitness concerns to manage ahead of this clash with Tottenham. First up, January arrival Rodrigo Mendoza is a big doubt after coming off against Real Sociedad at the weekend with an ankle problem.
There may be a late assessment to determine whether he can make the first leg, but at the moment, there is a significant doubt. The other concern is a bit more important, as midfielder Pablo Barrios is expected to miss out with a hamstring issue, although reports surrounding his situation point towards a late assessment to determine his availability.
Antoine Griezmann came up clutch at the weekend against his former side Real Sociedad, but there are doubts over whether Simeone will select the Frenchman for this clash, as he has other options to consider. The manager will persist with a front two of Sorloth and Julian Alvarez, while Koke could come into midfield alongside Johnny Cardoso.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Gonzalez; Sorloth, Alvarez
Tottenham Hotspur
Compared to the limited injury concerns Atletico Madrid have, Igor Tudor must manoeuvre around a rather large list of fitness issues ahead of this all-important clash in Madrid. At least eight first-team stars are absent through injury, with only one of them likely to make the matchday squad for the first-leg clash.
One source of respite for Tudor will be the availability of his first-choice defensive pairing of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with the Croatian manager able to put them together on the pitch for the first time since he took over. The central defensive duo will certainly start, while Kevin Danso could be drafted in as part of what could be a back three.
Pedro Porro and Archie Gray could play in the wing-back roles, while Pape Matar Sarr and Joao Palhinha could handle the midfield setup. Xavi Simons could return to the lineup after being benched for their last Premier League game, and he will provide the attacking spark behind the two strikers, with Mathys Tel and Dominic Solanke leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Vicario; Danso, Romero, van de Ven; Porro, Palhinha, Sarr, Gray; Simons; Tel, Solanke
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have conceded more goals (15) than any other team in the round of 16.
- Atletico Madrid have conceded five goals in their last two games across all competitions.
- Tottenham have been winless in their last six games since their win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Tottenham have won their last three Champions League games.
- Ademola Lookman has had a hand in 16 goals in his last 21 appearances in major European competition (12 goals, 4 assists), while he scored in his only start in the UEFA Champions League to date for current club Atlético Madrid (v Club Brugge in the previous round).
Player to Watch
Koke
The veteran midfielder has to be one of the key men in this game, with the experienced star set to be part of an intense battle in the middle. Atletico Madrid are expected to miss Pabli Barrios, and with that, they may also miss the impact he brings to the table.
Koke always has the capacity to come up clutch in games like these, and Simeone would have studied the deficiencies in this Tottenham midfield. The Spaniard will have to play a big role if Atletico Madrid are dreaming of taking a big advantage back to North London for the second leg.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
The prospect of playing in the Champions League will be a welcome relief for Tudor, as he might experience what his predecessor did when it came to managing Spurs on the European front. Their fans will be hoping to see a different level of performance, and they might just put in a shift away in Madrid.
Atletico Madrid face a big test despite Tottenham’s disastrous form coming into this game, as conceding plenty of goals is Simeone’s number one worry. With two inconsistent and unpredictable teams taking each other on, this game has all the hallmarks of an entertaining 2-2 draw.
