Tottenham face Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie as Spurs seek European relief from their Premier League relegation battle.
Temporarily putting aside their Premier League relegation battle, beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur head to the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday for the opening leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash with Atletico Madrid. Despite their domestic struggles, Spurs have excelled in European competition, securing fourth place in the league phase and surpassing household names including PSG, Barcelona, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Chelsea.
They achieved five victories, amongst them impressive 2-0 triumphs over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Whilst continental football has provided Tottenham with some much-needed relief—reminiscent of Ange Postecoglou's memorable second campaign—their league form has been catastrophic. Thursday's 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace saw Igor Tudor's team establish a club record of 11 successive Premier League matches without victory, positioning them merely a point clear of the bottom three.
Following five consecutive defeats across all competitions, three of which have come under Tudor, questions are intensifying regarding his position, although he will oversee this demanding opening leg. Atletico Madrid, who concluded three points and ten positions beneath Spurs in the league phase, navigated a dramatic play-off against Club Brugge, eventually advancing 7-4 on aggregate following a 4-1 home victory driven by an Alexander Sorloth hat-trick.
Traditionally renowned for their defensive resilience, Atletico finished the league phase with the poorest defensive record amongst the top 16 sides, shipping 15 goals, and recent displays suggest their backline problems remain. They have let in five goals across their last two fixtures—a 3-0 Copa del Rey defeat to Barcelona (made irrelevant by their first-leg cushion) and a 3-2 La Liga triumph over Real Sociedad.
Despite their defensive frailties, Atletico have claimed victory in their last four home fixtures, netting at least three goals in each. Nevertheless, their sole previous competitive encounter with Tottenham concluded in a comprehensive defeat, as Spurs prevailed 5-1 in the 1963 Cup Winners' Cup final, with Jimmy Greaves netting twice.
Nearly 63 years on, a repetition of that scoreline appears highly improbable, but Tottenham will be hoping their European form can offer some respite from their domestic troubles as they pursue a fourth successive Champions League win and a sixth clean sheet in seven tournament fixtures.
Atletico vs Tottenham Prediction
Atletico to win to nil - 9/5 ( William Hill )
Under 2.5 goals - 17/20 ( William Hill )
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