Tottenham bowed out of the Champions League in the round of 16, losing 7-5 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid despite a spirited 3-2 home win in the second leg. After a damaging 5-2 defeat at the Metropolitano in the first leg, Igor Tudor’s side gave a committed response at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Randal Kolo Muani put Spurs ahead early with a headed goal after a strong start, but Julian Alvarez levelled and briefly quelled the crowd. Xavi Simons restored Tottenham’s lead five minutes later with a curling finish and later converted a late penalty to make it two for the night. Spurs pressed for more, forcing Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak (reported here as Julian Musso in some accounts) into several saves, but a glancing header from David Hancko ultimately ensured Atletico progressed.
The win was Tudor’s first as head coach and gave Tottenham a morale boost despite the aggregate exit. Tudor described his feelings as “mixed,” praising the team’s display and thanking the fans for their support, saying the players gave everything and that the result was a step in the right direction. He also admitted frustration at a late counter-attack when the team were chasing another goal.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed the positives, highlighting the team’s physical display and work rate. He said the players ran until the final second, that there are many positives to take, and that the performance provides confidence going into the next fixtures.
Sky Sports’ Patrick Rowe noted the game matched Tudor’s earlier comment that recent results were a step forward. While the first leg’s collapse left too much to do, the second-leg performance — attacking, energetic and supported by a lively home crowd — is exactly what Spurs must replicate in the Premier League run-in. Tottenham now turn their focus to Sunday’s crucial match against Nottingham Forest, who sit just below them in the table; Tudor will want the same intensity alongside the hoped-for returns of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero.
Although not enough to reach the quarter-finals, the showing could influence the team’s trajectory for the remainder of the season. Quarter-final ties were drawn as: PSG vs Liverpool, Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, Barcelona vs Atletico, and Sporting vs Arsenal.