There has been the feeling at too many points of this traumatic season for Tottenham that they only play when the result is beyond them. This Champions League last-16 tie looked that way when Atlético Madrid went 4-0 up after 22 minutes of the first leg last Tuesday and nobody gave Spurs a prayer of overturning the final scoreline from the Metropolitano of 5-2.
They played here. It was a strange evening because there were times when the hope did crackle. Spurs had massive chances for a two-goal lead on the night. Mathys Tel at 1-0 towards the end of the first half; Pedro Porro at 2-1 on the hour. There was another in stoppage time for Randal Kolo Muani at 3-2. It was surely too late by then. All of them went begging.
The idea for the beleaguered Igor Tudor and his players was to build on the positive vibes of Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Liverpool. The more important game of the week will be here on Sunday against Nottingham Forest. As crazy as that sounds given Spurs had only contested nine previous Champions League knockout fixtures. Staying in England’s top division is the be-all and end-all.
Spurs could feel their fragile confidence pepped. There were goals for Kolo Muani and a pair for Xavi Simons, including a late winner on the night from the penalty spot. Atlético, serial participants in the knockout rounds of this competition, were never truly in danger. Julián Alvarez was outstanding, scoring his team’s first for 1-1 and setting up a second equaliser for David Hancko. There were positives for Spurs.
Tudor had said before the first leg that Premier League survival was the priority; he repeated himself on the eve of this game and it said plenty that he left Dominic Solanke out the squad entirely. The striker had a small hip problem and ought to be fine to face Forest. Only at Spurs would a star player be wrapped in cotton wool for a Champions League knockout in order to be fit for Forest.
The big problems have been everywhere for Tudor and he was deprived of ten other players for various reasons, with three more fit enough only for the bench. He named nine substitutes rather than the permitted 12. Atlético were 25-1 on to progress at kick-off time.
There were a large number of empty seats in the upper reaches of the stadium – the attendance was about 10,000 down on capacity – and yet the atmosphere that the home fans generated at the outset was decent. It was positive. As was Tudor in terms of his set-up. Radu Dragusin was asked to play at right-back with Porro further forward on the right wing. It was the back four that the supporters had wanted.
It was a worry from a Spurs point of view to see how easily Atlético sliced up the right with their first move. They had men over and when Diego Simeone’s son, Giuliano, crossed low, there was Ademola Lookman to turn home. He was denied by an offside flag.
Atlético would threaten again up the right but Spurs were determined to impose themselves. They had nothing to lose and they played with a certain liberation. What if they could score the first goal?
They did so when Tel floated over a cross from the inside right and Kolo Muani peeled into a pocket of space. It was a defensive breakdown, so out of character for Atlético. When Kolo Muani rose, it was a done deal. The volume in the stands went up another few notches.
Tel meant business up the left. He had a fistful of attempts on goal in the first half, working Juan Musso – who deputised for the injured Jan Oblak – with one from a tight angle on 25 minutes.
The big chance for Tel came in the 35th minute and there was howls when he spurned it. Archie Gray drove the move and when Simons turned a pass from Kolo Muani through for Tel, he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. The shot was too close to Musso.
Atlético finished the first half with Alvarez sending a deflected shot just over and Guglielmo Vicario throwing up a strong hand to deny Simeone from distance; again the shot was deflected. It was a big save. Spurs were applauded off at the interval.
Atlético found the sucker punch early in the second half. Simons wanted a foul on the edge of the Atlético area that was not really there and it was a devastating counter, Lookman eventually squaring for Alvarez who had held his run. He had all the time and space he needed to lash high into the corner.
Quick Guide
Kane scores 50th Champions League goal as Bayern win
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Harry Kane became the first English player to hit 50 Champions League goals, scoring twice as Bayern Munich humbled Atalanta again to complete a 10-2 aggregate win.
The Bundesliga giants set up a quarter-final against Real Madrid, following up their 6-1 victory in Bergamo with a 4-1 home win at the Allianz Arena.
Leading the side for the first time in European action, Kane hit the first two, a retaken penalty and a brilliantly worked second, to bring up his half-century in 66 games and take his season’s tally to 47.
Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz added to the scoring as Bayern racked up double figures for the tie, before a late consolation for Lazar Samardzic. PA Media
Spurs did not let their heads drop. Gray was a symbol of the belief in midfield, pushing his team on. He was at the heart of the goal for 2-1 on the night, winning the ball, driving upfield and passing to Simons, who curled a beauty from the edge of the area into the far corner.
Game back on? Spurs thought so and there was a stirring period around the hour mark when they had a flurry of openings, Porro denied by Musso the clearest one. He was played through by Simons, who was back in the lineup after three games on the bench and hellbent on expressing himself.
It was at this point that Alvarez seemed to decide that enough was enough. He had shimmered with menace. Now he cut loose.
There was the moment when he beat Micky Van de Ven and Djed Spence with a flash of twinkle-toed brilliance before being denied by Vicario with the angle tight. He would work the goalkeeper again from distance and, from the resulting corner, which he whipped over, there was Hancko to head home at the near post.
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