Can Tottenham Hotspur Overcome a Huge Goal Deficit Against Atlético Madrid?

Tottenham Hotspur will host Atlético Madrid at their North London stadium for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The match will take place on March 18th at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Tottenham will go into the match with a three-goal deficit on aggregate, as Atlético Madrid thrashed them 5-2 in their first leg in Spain. With their home fans and familiar stadium, can Tottenham defy the odds and move into the Champions League Quarterfinals?

Tottenham Breakdown

Tottenham Hotspur is currently experiencing an injury crisis. The numerous injuries to players exacerbated their low position in the Premier League table, which could see them relegated if they do not improve. It’s not promising for their upcoming match in the Champions League Round of 16, as they must score three or more goals and stop Atlético Madrid from scoring as well. Tottenham currently has 13 senior players out with possible injury for the Champions League match.  Conor Gallagher could be unavailable to play against his former club because he is ill with a fever. Destiny Udogie suffers from a hamstring injury. Club captain Cristian Romero and João Palhinha could miss this match as they are both under concussion protocol for clashing heads with each other in the first leg of this matchup. Lucas Bergvall is recovering from ankle surgery and will not be back until after the March international break. Mohammed Kudus is also expected to come back after the international break from his hamstring injury. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been out with long-term injuries. They are not expected to start or be on the bench for the second leg.

Tottenham does not seem to have any positives lately. Their interim coach, Igor Tudor, is dealing with an injury crisis. He is the first Tottenham manager to lose his first four games in charge. For his Premier League campaign, he has secured only one point since early February with the draw against Liverpool on March 15th. The North London club’s key players in this match will be their goalie, Guglielmo Vicario, and striker, Richarlison. Vicario will be necessary to prevent Atlético Madrid from scoring and increasing their already high lead. The Brazilian striker will be crucial in order to equalize the aggregate score. Their Champions League campaign looks bleak due to the uphill battle they have against in-form Atlético Madrid.

Atlético Madrid Breakdown

Compared to Tottenham’s long list of injuries, Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone does not have to deal with the same crisis. However, he will have to adjust his lineup as his first-choice goalie is out with an injury. Jan Oblak will miss the Tottenham match due to an undisclosed injury. Juan Musso is expected to take the Slovenian goalie’s spot for the upcoming Champions League match. Besides the injury to his goalie, Simeone doesn’t have much to complain about when it comes to his tactics and the number of injuries. However, he is complaining about rumors and speculation of a transfer for Julián Álvarez. He believes the rumors going around are overshadowing their current Champions League form.

Match Expectations

Tottenham will have to play aggressively against Atlético Madrid, which was what they attempted to do in the first leg as well. For the first matchup, the aggressive play did not favor the North London club. Spurs will have to decrease all errors from offense to defense in order to claw their way into the quarterfinals. Atlético Madrid will not make it easy for them, as their form has been impeccable for their last few matches. Their positive form can also reflect their higher position in the La Liga table, third, compared to Tottenham’s possible relegation spot of 16th.

Match Predictions

Viewers and supporters can expect to see Tottenham giving their all in order to try to salvage their Champions League season. Their desperation may translate into some sloppy challenges here and there, and they could possibly end up with some yellow cards due to their frustrations with Atlético Madrid’s inability to be more relaxed in the match due to their goal advantage. However, Atlético Madrid won’t simply park the bus. They will be looking to increase their lead to kill Tottenham’s hopes of moving forward in the knockout stages. Tottenham’s form does look as if they have a lot of goals in them. Therefore, the prediction for this match is an Atlético Madrid win 2-0, and witness them move into the quarterfinals.