Tottenham are tasked with a mountain to climb in their second leg against Atletico Madrid following the humbling in the reverse fixture.
Tottenham might have galvanised themselves a bit with their late show at Anfield, where they managed to snatch a point ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. Liverpool took the lead through a terrific Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick, but could barely open up the Spurs defence, only to concede late as Richarlison proved that he is a real fighter in a relegation battle.
Spurs must sharply turn their attention towards a mammoth task in the Champions League, as they take on Atletico Madrid in the second leg. Tottenham ensured they have a mountain to climb in North London following their humbling defeat away from home in the first leg.
Atletico Madrid hold a three-goal advantage in the tie following their 5-2 win over Spurs in the first leg. In the past, many teams have overcome such a deficit, but given the current state of Tottenham, it is difficult to envisage a scenario where Spurs overcome their problems in such a dramatic fashion.
Meanwhile, Diego Simeone will come into this clash in North London with the solitary aim of progressing to the quarter-finals. The three-goal advantage gives the Argentine boss the onus to hold on to the lead and not do anything that could jeopardise their chances and bring Spurs back into the contest.
Atletico Madrid played out a tough game in La Liga against a resilient ten-man Getafe, as Nahuel Molina’s early goal was enough to secure the points. The Champions League is still a competition they could potentially win, or at least go deep in, but first, Simeone must overcome this second-leg encounter at Spurs, and he will hope his players make the job easy on Wednesday.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Igor Tudor is still faced with a massive injury list ahead of another crucial game in the context of their season. The big concerns are in defence, with a host of their players missing at the weekend. Cristian Romero is available again, as Tudor confirmed following his concussion issues, while Micky van de Ven is also available after serving a domestic suspension.
Unfortunately for Joao Palhinha, he may not make the squad, as he, too, was involved in a clash of heads with Romero away at Atletico Madrid in the first leg. Tudor also confirmed that Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall are back in the mix, but suggested the duo might only play a few minutes.
The others who have been missing are not returning for this clash, including Conor Gallagher, who sat out the weekend with an illness, as Tudor suggested they might make a late decision on the midfielder. Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr are certain to start in the Spurs midfield, while Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, and Mathys Tel are likely to start in the front line.
Richarlison is reportedly suspended for this clash, which would automatically place Dominic Solanke as Tottenham’s leading marksman against Atletico Madrid. At the back, Pedro Porro and Djed Spence are expected to play in the full-back roles, while Tudor is likely to trust the Romero and van de Ven partnership in the centre, with Guglielmo Vicario starting in goal.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Tel, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid come into this clash against Tottenham with some fitness concerns of their own, as their first-choice keeper has been ruled out with a muscular problem that also saw him miss the weekend. Juan Musso deputised for the Slovenian and kept a clean sheet against Getafe, and Diego Simeone will once again trust the second-choice stopper in north London.
Rodrigo Mendoza is out of contention, while Pablo Barrios will be assessed late on before Simeone decides on the midfielder’s inclusion in the matchday squad. Beyond that, Atletico Madrid have no further fitness concerns, and the manager could tinker with his selection compared to the first leg.
Antoine Griezmann was among a host of other first-team stars rested at the weekend, and most of them are expected to return to the line-up, including Julian Alvarez. Robin Le Normand and David Hancko are expected to start in central defence, while Marc Pubill and Matteo Ruggeri are set to feature in the full-back roles.
Simeone is likely to set up in a 4-4-2 shape, with Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman set to feature out wide. Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez will feature up front, while Marcos Llorente and Johnny Cardoso are the preferred midfield pairing for Atletico.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Musso; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
Key Stats
- In UEFA Champions League history, only four teams have ever advanced after losing the first leg of a knockout tie by three or more goals.
- Tottenham Hotspur are winless in their last eight games across all competitions.
- Atletico Madrid have won five of their last six games across all competitions.
- Atletico Madrid are aiming to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the eighth time under Diego Simeone.
- Tottenham have won all four of their UEFA Champions League home games this season by an aggregate score of 10-0. Only three times has a side won their first five without conceding in a single campaign – Deportivo de La Coruña in 2003/04, and Real Madrid in both 2010/11 and 2015/16.
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann
Many players could be in the spotlight as Tottenham take on Atletico Madrid, but Griezmann’s name probably stands out in that regard. Diego Simeone has done an admirable job in helping the Frenchman stay fresh and maintain his fitness this season.
Meanwhile, Griezmann scored (1) and assisted (1) for Atletico Madrid in their victory over Tottenham last week, while he was the second-oldest player to do so in a knockout stage game in the UEFA Champions League (34y 354d), after Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema in February 2023 versus Liverpool (35y 64d).
With constant man-management of the former France international, Simeone has often found the right moment to unleash Griezmann in key games. The second leg against Tottenham could be another such occasion, with the veteran attacker likely to pose a significant threat to the Tottenham defence.
Prediction
Tottenham 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Tottenham are three goals down, and anything but an attacking approach to the game would seem foolish from Igor Tudor. Hence, with Spurs expected to attack, there is a chance they build on the pressure. However, they are facing a team and an experienced manager who knows how to handle these situations.
Diego Simeone could rely on his defence-first approach, as they have the luxury of a three-goal lead heading into this clash. The onus is not on Atletico Madrid to attack or score goals, but on Tottenham, meaning Simeone is likely to set his side up to soak up the pressure and attack on the counter.
Given how deadly the Spanish giants are in those situations, they are expected to secure a narrow win in this second-leg encounter. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Simeone and his charges.
