Tottenham vs Atletico – News and Probable Lineups

Tottenham Hotspur aims to achieve a remarkable comeback as they host Atletico Madrid at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night in the second leg of their last-16 match in the Champions League.

Having lost the first leg 5-2 to Atletico last week, Tottenham faces a challenging task to qualify for the tournament’s quarter-finals.

Match overview

Tottenham ended a dismal six-match losing streak across all competitions against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, where Richarlison’s late equalizer at Anfield earned them a crucial point. This performance came under the guidance of interim head coach Igor Tudor.

Calls for Tudor’s dismissal intensified following the 5-2 defeat to Atletico last week, yet Tottenham opted against making any changes. Their performance against Liverpool showcased a significant improvement.

While currently entrenched in a Premier League relegation battle, Tottenham’s focus shifts to the Champions League as they strive for an extraordinary turnaround to progress to the quarter-finals.

Despite the daunting task ahead, unpredictable moments in football often surprise, and it would be a remarkable story if Tudor could guide Tottenham to an improbable last-eight finish.

Historically, Tottenham has achieved just three wins from their last 16 UEFA encounters with Spanish teams, while Atletico has triumphed in 10 out of 14 UEFA two-legged matches against English sides.

Atletico has actually secured victory in seven of their last 11 Champions League last-16 encounters, and they have scored first in seven of their last eight matches in the competition.

Opening the scoring against Tottenham on Wednesday would establish a four-goal lead in the tie, making recovery highly improbable, especially as the home side will again be missing several key players due to injuries and suspensions.

Though Atletico hasn’t been flawless this season, it’s clear they have their vulnerabilities, as Diego Simeone’s side navigates a transitional phase.

Entering this match on the back of a 1-0 victory against Getafe on Saturday, Atletico will have had more preparation time for this second leg. However, the travel and resultant fatigue must be factored in.

It would indeed be one of the largest upsets in tournament history if Atletico failed to progress from this position, and if successful, they would face Newcastle United or Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

Tottenham Hotspur Champions League form:

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Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

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Atletico Madrid Champions League form:

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Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):

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Team News

For Wednesday’s Champions League match against Atletico, Tottenham will again be without numerous key players. However, Micky van de Ven is set to return after missing the Liverpool fixture due to suspension.

The following players will be unavailable: Richarlison (suspended), Yves Bissouma (muscle), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Ben Davies (ankle), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Rodrigo Bentancur (thigh), Dejan Kulusexi (knee), James Maddison (knee), and Wilson Odobert (knee).

Additionally, Conor Gallagher (illness), Destiny Udogie (thigh), Cristian Romero (head), and Joao Palhinha (head) will need to be evaluated before final selections are made.

Three alterations may be expected in the team that faced Liverpool, with Xavi Simons, Van de Ven, and Randal Kolo Muani likely coming in for Richarlison, Radu Dragusin, and Souza.

On the other hand, Atletico has ruled out their first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak due to a muscular injury, leading to Juan Musso being in goal.

Rodrigo Mendoza remains sidelined, while Pablo Barrios is subject to assessment before the match. Simeone’s squad has no further injury worries.

Musso stepping in for Oblak could represent the only alteration from the team that started the initial leg, with significant changes anticipated following their league match against Getafe.

Antoine Griezmann is expected to feature alongside Julian Alvarez in the attack, with Johnny Cardoso likely filling a central midfielder position.

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Viceroy; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Tel, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

Atletico Madrid probable starting XI:

Musso; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez

After a much-improved display against Liverpool in the Premier League, Tottenham heads into this fixture with some degree of confidence. However, they have left themselves a steep hill to climb, which strongly suggests Atletico is likely to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament.