Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid: Form guide and managers’ comments
By Joel Masibo, March 18, 2026A quarter-final ticket is on the line in the UEFA Champions League as Tottenham Hotspur welcome Atlético de Madrid for the second leg of their Round of 16 clash on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the home side will attempt to overturn a heavy 5-2 first-leg deficit.
A late strike from Dominic Solanke in the first leg slightly reduced the damage for Spurs, but they still face a daunting three-goal gap. Despite the odds, the history of the competition shows that dramatic turnarounds are always possible.
Tottenham can draw inspiration from past success against the Spanish side, including a commanding 5-1 victory in a European final decades ago.
However, Atlético, led by Diego Simeone, will be wary of complacency. Their recent trip to London ended in a heavy defeat to Arsenal, a reminder that surprises can happen.
Current form
Tottenham: DLLLL
Most recent: 1-1 draw vs Liverpool
Atlético de Madrid: WWWLW
Most recent: 1-0 win vs Getafe
Pre-match thoughts
Igor Tudor (Tottenham coach): “It is difficult but not impossible. We need to stay in the game and focus on our strengths. Everything is still to play for, believing we can do it is the important thing from the start.”
Micky van de Ven (Tottenham defender): “It’s a beautiful game, we have nothing to lose. We want to do something special and we’re going to give everything to turn it around. We know it’s going to be difficult because we’re three goals down, but we’ll do everything we can. The guys showed some great character at the weekend against Liverpool and we can build on that.”
Diego Simeone (Atlético coach): “We pushed for positive things to happen [in the first leg], and they did. I think we could have been more decisive in the first half. We still have another game ahead of us where we’ll have to suffer, as in all matches in Europe. We need to play the game where it is. There’s a three-goal difference; we need to win, and the best way to do that is to score first and put them in a more uncomfortable position.”
Marcos Llorente (Atlético midfielder): “Before [the first leg], we would all have taken scoring five goals in the Champions League, which is no easy feat. We leave with mixed feelings after conceding two, but we have a good advantage heading into the second leg.”
Match outlook
Tottenham will take confidence from their recent draw against Liverpool, ending a poor run of results. With nothing to lose, an early goal could ignite hopes of a famous comeback.
Atlético, however, arrive in strong form and will aim to control the match and secure progression. Notably, no visiting team has managed to beat Spurs at home in their last 24 European fixtures, a record the Spanish side will be eager to break.