Catch up with all the action from Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League
Tottenham produced their best performance of a difficult season but ultimately fell short of completing one of the Champions League’s great comebacks, winning 3-2 on the night but falling to Atletico Madrid as the Spanish side progressed 7-5 on aggregate.
Igor Tudor’s side were magnificent throughout, giving a North London crowd starved of European nights something to genuinely believe in. It was not enough.
Mathys Tel was the star of the show in a first half that belonged almost entirely to Spurs. The Frenchman caused constant problems with his directness, forcing two fine saves from Juan Musso and providing the delivery that gave Tottenham their first-half lead.
On 30 minutes, Tel drifted right and picked out Randal Kolo Muani with a pinpoint cross, and the PSG loanee rose to head firmly into the bottom-left corner, his fourth Champions League goal of the campaign.
Guglielmo Vicario, who had faced serious criticism in recent weeks, produced a remarkable stoppage-time save to preserve that lead, readjusting in mid-air to palm away a deflected Giuliano Simeone effort that had appeared certain to go in.
Atletico strike early to deflate atmosphere
Spurs needed the perfect start to the second half. Instead, Atletico served a brutal reminder of their own quality within two minutes of the restart.
Simons was dispossessed on the edge of the Atletico box and Lookman darted away down the left, cutting inside to find Julian Alvarez.
The Argentine swivelled and struck a finish into the top-left corner, his eighth Champions League goal of the season.
To their enormous credit, Spurs refused to wilt. On 52 minutes, Archie Gray won possession in midfield and fed Simons, who got his head up and curled a gorgeous effort into the bottom-right corner.
The Dutchman, who had gone 16 games without a goal, chose exactly the right moment to end the drought. Tottenham were back in front and the aggregate score had closed to 6-4.
Atletico responded again on 75 minutes. A whipped Alvarez corner to the near post found David Hancko completely unmarked, and the Slovakian headed past Vicario.
The aggregate score moved to 7-4, and with that, the tie was effectively over.
A penalty in the 89th minute gave Tottenham a final goal of consolation. Gimenez, on barely two minutes after coming off the bench, clumsily brought down Simons inside the area, and the Dutchman stepped up to roll into the left corner, his second of the night and a fitting end to a performance that deserved more.
Spurs threw bodies forward in five added minutes but could not find the two goals that would have forced extra time. Kolo Muani was denied by a superb Hancko block and the final whistle confirmed Atletico’s passage to the quarter-finals.
The night offered Tudor something to build on. Tel and Simons were outstanding throughout, the crowd were magnificent, and the collapse that had looked inevitable after the first leg never truly materialised.
