Has Igor Tudor turned a corner as interim Tottenham boss? The Croat interim coach will certainly hope that is the case and although a completed Champions League comeback at the expense of Atletico Madrid was going to be a tall order, Wednesday’s win could have built a huge platform
Tottenham in action twice this week, the relegation six-pointer with Nottingham Forest to follow this weekend. That fixture undoubtedly season-defining, ask any Spurs supporter and they would have picked success on Sunday rather than a miracle in midweek.
Then again, football is far from binary in terms of options and pockets of that support would have dared to dream when Spurs got their noses in front at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Their early endeavour eventually rewarded on the half hour.
Randal Kolo Muani’s header powered past Juan Musso in the Atletico net. Tottenham’s deficit in the tie now cut to two. Almost cut to one not long after when Mathys Tel’s effort was well saved by Jan Oblak’s deputy between the posts.
Unfortunately for the Premier League representatives, two would become three again just after the interval. Julian Alvarez scoring in last week’s first-leg, doing precisely the same in the second. The former Manchester City forward all but confirming Atletico’s progress to the last eight
His superb strike past Guglielmo Vicario tied up matters for the Spanish outfit but Tottenham refused to lie down on the night. Five minutes after Alvarez had restored parity, the hosts found themselves ahead for the second time in North London.
Xavi Simons, who himself believed was fouled in the build up to Atletico’s equaliser managed to dish out an element of personal revenge. The Dutch international’s curling effort sailed past Musso to make it 2-1 to Spurs on the night and 6-4 in the tie.
Ultimately there was too much to do in terms of a miracle against Madrid-based opposition and that miracle was expunged once and for all with 15 minutes of the game left remaining. Centre back David Hancko given enough to head home at the back post and restore Atletico parity once more.
However, that was not the final entry on the scoresheet and with Simons being bundled over by Jose Maria Gimenez in the Tottenham box, the hosts were given the ideal opportunity to restore an element of pride from the tie.
Simons himself stepping up and slotting home from a distance of 12 yards in injury time. The aggregate score now 5-7 in Atletico Madrid’s favour. The damage done by them in the first leg, they were certainly made to sweat in the second.
Spurs now showing element of fight and perhaps more importantly fitness that they did not have a month ago, factors that bode well before the visit of Nottingham Forest on Sunday – a side that has to deal with European competition on Thursday night.
Will that extra 24 hours of freshness make all the difference in the bid to stay up? We will have to wait and see. We will also have to wait and see how Diego Simeone’s men deal with Barcelona in the upcoming all-Spanish Champions League last eight tie.
