Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur go head-to-head in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday.
The hosts are favoured to come out on top over two legs, although Spurs have been confoundingly strong in Europe despite their woes in the Premier League this season.
This is only the second ever meeting between the two sides in competitive action and the first in 63 years.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham – Match preview and team news
Date: Tuesday, 10th March
Kick-off: 8pm BST
Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük
VAR: Pol van Boekel
Last meeting: Tottenham 5-1 Atletico Madrid, UEFA European Cup Winners Cup Final, 15th May 1963
Atletico Madrid team news
The hosts are expected to have close to a full squad available for the game except one player who is a big doubt and is expected to sit out this match, that is Rodrigo Mendoza, While Pablo Barrios is back in training and is ready to feature though it is most likely that he will start from the bench.
The January addition of Ademola Lookman has strengthened Atletico’s attacking depth, with the Nigerian forward contributing several goals and assists since joining from Atalanta during the winter transfer window.
Alexander Sorloth has also been a key performer this season. The Norwegian striker has reached double figures in La Liga and has scored six goals in his last five appearances, including a hat-trick against Club Brugge during the Champions League play-off round.
Speaking ahead of the tie, Simeone warned against underestimating Spurs despite their domestic struggles. The Argentine coach said that “form and rankings matter little on the pitch,” emphasising that his players must show intensity and focus against a Premier League side with significant attacking quality.
Tottenham team news
Injuries have been a major issue for Tottenham throughout the campaign. James Maddison remains sidelined with a serious knee injury that is expected to keep him out until the summer.
Spurs’ lengthy injury list also includes: Wilson Odobert (ACL), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Destiny Udogie (muscle) and Rodrigo Bentancur (thigh). None of them will return before April at the earliest, except Kulusevski and Udogie who are expected to be available at the end of this month.
Djed Spence is also a doubt for this game, while Radu Dragusin needs more time after his recent knock.
Despite the setbacks, they have received a boost with key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven available for this match after their respective domestic bans.
Form
Atletico Madrid: WWWLW
Atletico Madrid are enjoying a strong run of results and remain in the top three of La Liga while also progressing well in the Champions League and Copa del Rey. They reached the final of the latter competition despite losing 3-0 to Barcelona, having won the first leg 4-0.
Their recent 3-2 victory over Real Sociedad at home followed convincing wins against Espanyol and Club Brugge, showing their attacking form at home.
Tottenham: LLLLL
Tottenham travel to Madrid amid a difficult period domestically. Spurs have lost five consecutive matches in all competitions and have also not won a single league match in 2026. They sit just above the relegation zone in the Premier League, piling pressure on new manager Igor Tudor who recently replaced Thomas Frank.
Tudor replaced Thomas Frank earlier in the season but has struggled to turn results around, with defeats against Arsenal, Fulham and, most recently, Crystal Palace, leaving the club in a precarious position.
