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Tottenham face a near-impossible task in North London as they look to overturn a three-goal deficit against Atletico Madrid to keep their Champions League dream alive.
Tottenham Hotspur were handed a much-needed confidence boost on Sunday, grinding out a rare point at Anfield. Richarlison’s late equaliser spared them what would have been a seventh straight defeat, and if not for a costly goalkeeping error that allowed Dominik Szoboszlai to score directly from a free-kick, Spurs might well have ended their 15-year wait for a win at Liverpool.
Still, that moment paled in comparison to the chaos of the first leg in Madrid. Antonin Kinsky endured a nightmare opening, gifting Atletico two goals inside the first 15 minutes. Even after Guglielmo Vicario was thrown on early, the damage had already been done, with Diego Simeone’s side eventually cruising to a 5-2 win.
Atletico, meanwhile, have had one eye firmly on this tie. They rotated heavily at the weekend but still managed a narrow 1-0 win over Getafe in the La Liga on Saturday.
What time does Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid kick off?
Location: London, England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Sunday, 18 March 2026
Kick-off Time: 8 pm BST
Referee: Daniel Siebert
VAR: Bastian Dankert
Tottenham team news
Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Lucas Bergvall returned to training ahead of the Champions League clash, while Joao Palhinha is still recovering from his concussion.
Conor Gallagher missed the Liverpool game through fever, but he could still return to the squad here, while Yves Bissouma‘s absence is irrelevant since he is not in the Champions League squad either way.
Richarlison will miss out due to suspension following his booking in the first leg, which is a big blow given his form at the weekend.
Spurs are already stretched, with Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur all sidelined. Several of those names are not part of the club’s registered Champions League squad anyway.
Atletico Madrid team news
Atletico are set to be without first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak due to a muscular issue, so Juan Musso is expected to step in between the posts.
They also have a couple of concerns elsewhere. Rodrigo Mendoza remains unavailable, while Pablo Barrios will be checked closer to kick-off after picking up a knock.
Predicted line-ups
Tottenham:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Danso, Van de Ven; Gray, Sarr, Simons; Tel, Solanke, Kolo Muani
Atletico Madrid:
Musso; Molina, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Llorente, Simeone, Cardoso; Lookman, Griezmann, Álvarez
Our prediction
Coming back from a three-goal deficit in a Champions League knockout tie is not something Tottenham haven’t done before. But let’s be honest, this is a very different group from the one that pulled off that famous night in 2019.
There are small reasons to believe, though. Atletico have shown cracks in second legs, most recently when they nearly threw away a four-goal advantage against Barcelona, conceding three and wobbling under pressure despite sitting in their usual low block.
And that plays right into the classic Atletico stereotype. When protecting a lead, they drop into one of the deepest, most disciplined low blocks in Europe, making space almost impossible to find.
That is exactly the challenge Spurs will face. Breaking it down is easier said than done, especially for a side already short on creativity. That puts a lot of responsibility on Xavi Simons and Mathys Tel to find something between the lines, while Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke simply have to be clinical.
You’d also expect Atletico to manage Griezmann’s freedom a bit differently this time, but he is still the one player Spurs cannot switch off against for even a second.
Ultimately, it comes down to the start. One early goal changes everything. The crowd lifts, Atletico think twice, and suddenly the tie feels alive again.
It’s a long shot, no question. But if Spurs can find that early breakthrough and ride the momentum, this could turn into one of those nights.
Predicted score: Tottenham 3-0 Atletico Madrid
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