Tottenham – Atletico Madrid: Can Tottenham pull off a comeback?
In the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, we are set for the second leg between Tottenham and Atletico Madrid. The match will take place on Wednesday, March 18, with kick-off at 21:00 CET, and I offer you a betting pick for it.
Tottenham – Atletico Madrid: Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first leg, Atletico thrashed Tottenham 5–2.
- Tottenham are winless in eight consecutive matches: two draws and six defeats.
- Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in eight straight matches.
- Tottenham have lost three consecutive home matches.
- Atletico Madrid have won their last three matches and have lost only once in their last eight games.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in 32% of their matches, Tottenham – 29%.
- Atletico have lost 11% of their matches without scoring, Tottenham – 12%.
- In 43% of their matches this season, Atletico Madrid have scored in both halves.
- Atletico have won both head-to-head meetings against Tottenham: 5–2 and 1–0.
Tottenham – Atletico Madrid: Match preview
The first leg turned into a rout. Within the opening 15 minutes, Atletico scored three goals, forcing the Tottenham manager to substitute his goalkeeper in the 18th minute. Spurs responded, but were unable to close the gap significantly, ultimately falling to a 2–5 defeat.
Tottenham drew 1–1 with Liverpool in their previous match at the weekend. Spurs are in a dire situation: they have 30 points after 30 rounds and sit in 16th place. Their lead over the relegation zone is just one point, meaning they must also focus on domestic matters, as the threat of dropping out of the Premier League is very real. Igor Tudor could be dismissed in the near future.
Atletico no longer have significant motivation on the domestic front. After 28 rounds, they have 57 points, sit in third place, and hold a 13-point advantage over fifth. That effectively secures their place in next season’s Champions League. The Madrid side have also reached the Copa del Rey final, where they will face Real Sociedad. Having built a solid advantage in the first leg of this Round of 16 tie, they now need to calmly see it through to qualification.
Probable line-ups
- Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Tel, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke
- Atletico Madrid: Musso; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
Prediction
Both teams have motivation and will clearly look to win. I expect an open, high-scoring contest, and my suggested bet is both teams to score in this match.
