Here is Tottenham Hotspur’s predicted lineup against Atletico Madrid at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur need a miracle as they look to keep their Champions League campaign alive on Wednesday, facing Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the last-16 tie.
The North Londoners suffered a chastening 5-2 defeat in the first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, with Atletico Madrid ruthlessly punishing errors from Antonin Kinsky and Micky van de Ven. There were strong calls for Tudor to be sacked following the 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid last week, but the club refused to make a change in the dugout. And the decision was vindicated with Spurs putting in a much-improved performance against Liverpool at Anfield.
Richarlison netted a last-gasp equaliser to end the club’s six-game losing run in all competitions and help Igor Tudor secure his first point on board as the interim boss. The focus remains on securing Premier League safety, and the weekend’s Nottingham Forest clash is very crucial, but first, the Lilywhites will look to give it all to go past Atletico Madrid in midweek.
That said, here is the predicted Tottenham lineup for their encounter against Atletico Madrid.
Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario
Guglielmo Vicario attracted strong criticism for failing to save Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick on Sunday. The Liverpool midfielder’s effort was down the middle, but Vicario’s poor positioning meant he couldn’t get a strong hand to keep it out. Yet, the Italian is certain to be in the Tottenham goal, especially after Kinsky’s horrible Champions League debut last week.
Defence: Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence
Micky van de Ven served a one-game domestic suspension at the weekend, so he will be fresh to feature here. The Dutchman will try to redeem himself after a poor outing in the first leg in the Spanish capital. He is likely to partner Kevin Danso in central defence, with Cristian Romero doubtful after his head clash with Joao Palhinha ruled the duo out of the weekend’s Liverpool game.
Pedro Porro and Djed Spence are expected to start in the full-back positions. They will need to try and stretch Atletico with their overlapping and underlapping runs, whilst being defensively diligent.
Midfield: Mathys Tel, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Xavi Simons
Tudor switched to a back four against Liverpool, and it worked. If he opts for a similar approach, we could see Xavi Simons start on the left, looking to provide guile and penetration in the final third. Mathys Tel is comfortable playing from the left but must settle for a role on the opposite flank after an encouraging display vs. Liverpool.
In the middle of the park, there is no looking past Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr. The duo were solid in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool, matching the hosts’ midfield unit’s energy and physicality. Tudor will expect something similar from Gray and Sarr against Atletico.
If Conor Gallagher recovers from illness, he will find a role on the bench.
Attack: Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani
It is pretty straightforward here! With Richarlison suspended, Dominic Solanke is likely to start with Randal Kolo Muani up top. Kolo Muani made an impact after coming off the bench on Sunday, laying the ball to Richarlison for the vital equaliser. The pair have to be in sync with their pressing and movement to cause problems for Atletico’s shaky defence.