This match was always expected to be an uphill battle. Carrying a three goal deficit into this match from the away leg, Tottenham Hotspur would have had to produce something special in order to progress to the Champions League Quarter Finals – and they very nearly did, as Spurs threw everything and the kitchen sink at Atletico Madrid in a brave performance.
With Spurs’ Premier League survival the priority and the Lilywhites already heavy underdogs, Igor Tudor could have been forgiven for rotating
his side and focusing on the weekend’s fixture against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest; instead, he embraced Spurs’ old adage of “To dare is to do”, naming perhaps the strongest side available to him. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven returned to the side, and with Richarlison and Dominic Solanke unavailable through suspension and injury, respectively, Randal Kolo Muani started up top looking to continue his European scoring streak.
Spurs’ sparkling start looked briefly to be all for naught as Ademola Lookman had the ball in the net from an Antoine Griezmann low cross, but Djed Spence’s outstretched leg was not enough to play Lookman onside as the linesman’s flag was raised. That was Atletico’s only moment of note in the first quarter of the match, as Spurs looked to play the game in their attacking third, while lacking a cutting edge to produce a breakthrough.
Mathys Tel labored, alternating between wasteful and threatening, with a number of pot shots forcing Juan Musso into saves, before creating the breakthrough. Picking up the ball in the half-space on the right following a quick throw, Tel curled an inch-perfect cross just past the penalty spot, with Randal Kolo Muani ghosting off the Atletico Madrid center backs to meet it. His header was sure, and Spurs had reduced the deficit to two goals.
That deficit should have been one soon after, as a gorgeous move full of one-touch passing started by Archie Gray breaking through midfield ended with Tel shooting tamely at Musso, when both Gray and Kolo Muani were available at the back post for a tap-in. That scare seemed to wake Atletico Madrid, who took back a modicum of control late in the first half and tried to create openings of their own. Julian Alvarez kissed the top of the net with a long-range effort; and Giuliano Simeone generated an unbelievable save from Guglielmo Vicario, Simeone’s shot deflecting off Romero and forcing Vicario to raise a glove late as the ball changed trajectory.
The burgeoning hopes from the first half’s performance were quickly dashed, as Atletico Madrid struck back via Julian Alvarez. Alvarez looked to foul Xavi Simons in the act of shooting just outside Madrid’s 18-yard box, before Radu Dragusin and Micky van de Ven failed to deal with an incisive counter as Alvarez guided a strike into the top corner. Spurs remonstrated with the ref for letting the challenge on Simons stand, but the goal stood.
Xavi Simons soon made up for that loss of possession with a stunning strike of his own. Gray was once more involved, intercepting the ball in midfield, before playing a one-two with the Dutch attacker. Simons then steadied himself and bent his effort from outside the post into the net to stir belief in the home crowd once more. The pressure appeared to be getting to Madrid’s players as well, Lookman carded as he lashed out at Radu Dragusin following a routine challenge.
Spurs had chances to further reduce the gap, as Simons played Pedro Porro through only for Musso to make a sterling save on Porro’s outside of the boot shot, before Dragusin struck his header straight at Musso off the ensuing corner. Despite the chances, it was Atletico Madrid who scored next, as a corner kick proved the undoing of Igor Tudor’s side. David Hancko made a run to the near post, drifting in front of Pape Matar Sarr who was late to react, and his glanced header snuck inside the near post as Madrid made the score 2-2 on the night.
A late penalty won and scored by a determined Xavi Simons secured Spurs a 3-2 win, but it was not enough to overturn the first leg deficit, as Spurs exited the Champions League with a 5-7 aggregate score.
Reactions
- This team still has fight in them. Make no mistake: though Spurs failed to progress to the next round, this was an heroic performance to produce Tudor’s first win with Spurs. The Lilywhites now need to build on this performance and the one at Anfield and take the fight to Nottingham Forest this weekend in a match that is a relegation six-pointer.
- Tudor set the side up in a formation that was a variation on his preferred back three: it was a somewhat lopsided structure that almost resembled a back four, with Pedro Porro pushing up high and Spence staying deep, as Xavi Simons and Mathys Tel interchanged on the left.
- The aggression with which Tudor wanted to approach this match was evident from the start, with both Dragusin and Romero spotted well up the pitch in the opening moments of the match to supplement the attack.
- Randal Kolo Muani just looks a different player against European defenses. A solid performance, and his goal was well taken.
- To a lesser extent you could say the same of Xavi Simons, who was excellent tonight. His one-touch passing was unlocked by actually having players move around him, and his first goal was an absolutely sumptuous strike. I’ll die on the hill that he was fouled before Madrid’s first goal, but it was contact that was never likely to trigger VAR to overturn.
- Archie Gray is quietly turning into a very good midfielder. His performance tonight was somewhat reminiscent of another young English midfielder’s performance against that other Madrid side; let’s hope his career doesn’t take the same trajectory.
- Maybe this is recency bias; maybe it’s me assigning too much blame of this season’s woes to a single player. But Micky van de Ven has lost a yard of pace this season, and to me it’s exposed some reasonably glaring deficiencies in his game. He had three opportunities to prevent Madrid’s opening goal, failing to intercept the pass, nick possession from Alvarez, and then close the space (though to be fair, Dragusin should have done more earlier in the move), and was soundly beaten by Alvarez down the right-hand side not long after. Spurs need him to be better.
- Can Spurs turn this win into a run of results? If they play like this every week, they certainly can. I’d say Tudor’s job is now probably safe, as well.
- COYS!!!
