Tottenham Hotspur produced a spirited performance but fell short in their Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid, winning 3-2 on the night yet losing 5-7 on aggregate. Goals from Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons (twice) were not enough as Atletico advanced to the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario praised the team's effort despite the exit.
Tottenham hosted Atletico Madrid at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 18, 2026, aiming to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit from March 10. Spurs started brightly, dominating the first half. Mathys Tel caused problems on the right, delivering a pinpoint cross on 30 minutes for Randal Kolo Muani to head in his fourth Champions League goal of the season, making it 1-0 on the night (3-5 aggregate). Vicario preserved the lead with a remarkable stoppage-time double save, first palming away a deflected Giuliano Simeone effort and then tipping another shot around the post after criticism in recent weeks for errors, including in the first leg where he replaced Antonin Kinsky after 17 minutes following two mistakes by the starter (Atletico led 4-0 by 22'). Atletico struck early in the second half; Ademola Lookman dispossessed Simons, setting up Julian Alvarez to swivel and finish into the top-left corner on 47 minutes, his eighth Champions League goal this season (1-1, 4-6 agg). Tottenham equalised on 52 minutes when Archie Gray won possession for Simons to curl a shot into the bottom-right corner, ending a 16-game goal drought (2-1, 5-6 agg). David Hancko headed in from an Alvarez corner on 75 minutes to make it 7-4 aggregate, effectively sealing the tie. Simons converted a penalty in the 89th minute after Jose Maria Gimenez fouled him, finishing 3-2. Spurs pushed in added time but could not force extra time. Post-match, Vicario told TNT Sports: “It was a game of moments and we were close to going over the edge. We had a lot of situations in the first half and we could’ve gone to the break at 2-0. There are a lot of positives to take from tonight.” He added: “It’s a good build-up into the next games and gives us a lot of confidence. We are very proud of what we did tonight but of course we are disappointed we didn’t go through.” With Tottenham battling Premier League relegation ahead of a clash with Nottingham Forest, Vicario highlighted the young players' contributions and fan support.
