After a thrilling 3-2 win in the second leg at home, Tottenham lost 7-5 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid and were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League with their heads held high.
Igor Tudor’s side suffered a humiliating 5-2 first leg defeat at the Estadio Metropolitano, but Randal Kolo Muani capitalized on Spurs’ strong start to take an early lead, sparking hopes of a comeback.
Julian Alvarez’s equalizer calmed the tense atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Xavi Simmons’ quick reaction and a strike five minutes after his side had conceded gave the hosts confidence back.
Atlético goalkeeper Julien Musso made eight appearances to keep Spurs at bay as they looked to close the gap, but David Hanko’s sharp header sealed Spurs’ fate.
Xavi doubled his tally with a late penalty to secure the club’s first win as Tudor manager, but the first 20 minutes of the first leg were chaotic and ultimately there was too much to do.
This performance is a confidence booster for Spurs, although it fell short of what the club needed to qualify for the quarter-finals against Barcelona.
Despite mounting injury concerns, a relegation battle simmering in the background and noise surrounding Tudor’s future at the club, the home side threatened, competed and entertained from the first whistle.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Tudor explained in his program notes at Anfield on Sunday. Wednesday night was just another night for him.
Spurs will be tasked with displaying the same characteristics on Sunday against Nottingham Forest, who are one point below them in the Premier League. This match could be the deciding match in the battle to remain in the top league.
Sunday, March 22, 2:00 p.m.
2:15pm kickoff
Tudor: It was a very good performance – thank you to the fans
Tottenham manager Igor Tudor told TNT Sports:
“Of course, the emotions are mixed. Even though we lost, there is a very good sense of team on the pitch. A very good performance by many players.”
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Igor Tudor admits he had “mixed feelings” after Tottenham’s first win as manager after losing 7-5 on aggregate and being eliminated from the Champions League against Atletico Madrid
“I was really happy that the fans acknowledged that we did everything we could as a team. We’re grateful to the fans because they’ve been with us from the beginning. It’s a good direction for us as a team, but we need to keep going.”
“It was important (to get back that sense of victory), so I was angry about the counter-attack at the last minute. I understand how the players felt, they wanted to score a goal.”
“I’m glad we could at least get the win.”
Randall Kolo Muani leads Spurs into first place against Atletico Madrid
Vicario: We fought hard against Atlético
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario told TNT Sports.
“We fought hard. We ran a lot. I think we’re in good shape physically. We kept running until the last moment.”
“We need to give our all in the next match.
“Tonight was a fleeting game. We almost went over the edge. There were situations in the first half and we could have gone into the break 2-0.
“There’s a lot of positives from all sides and everyone. We showed what we had to show in every game.
“It gives us a lot of confidence and I’m proud of what we did.”
Simmons celebrates with first goal to restore Spurs’ lead
Spurs need to repeat Atletico’s performance against Forest
Patrick Lowe of Sky Sports:
Tudor said Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool was a step in the right direction – and this game was no different.
It was his first win since January and his first since taking over as manager Thomas Frank.
Yes, it wasn’t enough to overcome the disastrous first leg, but this was exactly the performance Spurs needed heading into Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest.
A lively attacking performance that had Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupting from the start.
With the return of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogui and Cristian Romero, and playing like this with the home crowd on their side on Sunday, Spurs will give themselves every chance to pick up an important win in the fight for survival.
Although it wasn’t enough against Atlético, his performance could have a big impact on the team’s final position at the end of the season.
The story of the game in terms of statistics…
Quarterfinals full draw
PSG vs Liverpool Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich Barcelona vs Atletico Sporting vs Arsenal
