Tottenham were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 after Atletico Madrid advanced 7-5 on aggregate, despite a spirited 3-2 win for Spurs in the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The tie had been effectively decided by Atletico’s 5-2 victory at the Metropolitano in the first leg, but Igor Tudor’s team responded with commitment and energy at home.
Randal Kolo Muani gave Tottenham an early lead with a headed finish following a strong opening spell. Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico, briefly silencing the crowd, but Xavi Simons restored Spurs’ advantage five minutes later with a curling effort and later converted a late penalty to make it two for the night. Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak was called into action repeatedly (he was misidentified as Julian Musso in some reports), and a late glancing header from David Hancko ultimately sealed Atletico’s progress.
Although the aggregate score meant Tottenham could not advance, the victory marked Tudor’s first as head coach and provided a morale boost. Tudor described his feelings as “mixed,” praising the players and thanking the supporters for their backing. He said the team gave everything and that the performance represented a step forward, while also expressing frustration at a late counter-attack when Spurs were pressing for another goal.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed the positives, highlighting the side’s physical display and work rate. He praised the players’ effort, saying they ran until the final whistle and that there are plenty of positives to carry into upcoming fixtures.
Sky Sports’ Patrick Rowe observed that the second-leg display matched Tudor’s assessment that recent results have been a step in the right direction. While the collapse in the first leg left too big a deficit to overturn, the second-leg performance—attacking, energetic and backed by a lively home crowd—is the template Spurs will need to reproduce in their Premier League run-in.
Tottenham now turn their focus to a crucial Premier League match at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with Forest sitting just below Spurs in the table. Tudor will want the same intensity and hopes for the returns of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero as they chase points. Although the Champions League exit ends European hopes, the showing could influence Tottenham’s momentum for the remainder of the season.
Quarter-final ties were drawn as follows: PSG vs Liverpool, Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, Barcelona vs Atletico, and Sporting vs Arsenal.