Relegation-haunted Tottenham Hotspur head to Atletico Madrid for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.
MORE — UEFA Champions League bracket, schedule
Igor Tudor has overseen three-straight league defeats since taking over as Spurs manager as they now sit just one point above the Premier League’s relegation zone with nine games to go. But somehow Spurs have been able to produce some brilliant displays in the Champions League this season and it has been a wonderful distraction for them. The first leg at Atletico will be tough but if they stay in the game for the second leg, who knows?
Advertisement
Atleti are chugging along under Diego Simeone, who has overseen a big squad overhaul in the summer. They sit in third place in La Liga, as usual, and beat Club Brugge in the playoff round to reach the last 16. They also hammered Barcelona recently to reach the Spanish Cup final, which they are favorites to win. But Atletico have been a little inconsistent this season with some really poor defeats thrown in with some brilliant wins against the likes of Barca and Real Madrid.
For live updates and highlights throughout Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur, check out PST’s live blog coverage below.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur live score: 0-0
Goalscorers: None
Advertisement
Atletico Madrid starting XI
Lineups TBA at 3 pm ET.
Spurs starting XI
Lineups TBA at 3 pm ET.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 4pm ET Tuesday (March 10)
Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano — Madrid, Spain
TV Channel/Streaming: Paramount+
Atletico Madrid team news, focus
Julian Alvaraz remains the main threat in attack for Atletico, while Antoine Griezmann is still around and doing his thing even though a move to Orlando City in Major League Soccer is edging closer. New signing Ademola Lookman has been excellent since his arrival, while Alexander Sorloth is also chipping in with plenty of big goals. Elsewhere, USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso is very useful off the bench, while Jan Oblak remains a huge presence in goal. Atletico’s style of play hasn’t changed that much but when they are in full flow they do look more dangerous and can score plenty of goals. That is the big difference with this Atletico side this season.
Advertisement
Tottenham Hotspur team news, focus
Injuries have hit Spurs hard all season long but they will at least have their first-choice center back partnership for this game. With Cristian Romero just returning from a domestic ban and Micky van de Ven about to serve a domestic ban, they can at last be reunited at center back for this huge game in Europe. Dominic Solanke should lead the line with Xavi Simons likely to be tasked with creating just behind him. Conor Gallagher joined Spurs from Atletico in the winter window and could be a key figure in midfield for this game as his knowledge of how Atleti operate will be invaluable.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur prediction
Anything other than a heavy defeat is a massive win for Spurs, as they will hope to have some more players back from injury for the second leg. Atletico Madrid 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur.
