Igor Tudor will continue his pursuit of a first win as Tottenham interim manager on Tuesday as he faces Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.
The Croat, who is now winless in three matches in charge of Spurs, is under growing scrutiny as he looks to escape relegation from the Premier League, but he can alleviate some of the pressure with a win in Spain this week.
Tottenham’s continental form has been in stark contrast to their domestic this season. They breezed through the league phase, only losing to reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Tudor will be keen to keep Spurs’ positive European form up as the mood around the club and its fans plumbs unprecedented depths following last week’s miserable defeat by Crystal Palace.
He has never fared terribly well on the continent, though, winning only twice in nine Champions League matches as a manager. Both of those wins came against Sporting Lisbon in autumn 2022, during a brief stint as Marseille’s head coach.
He will also be concerned by Atletico’s form. They have won four of their last five matches in the run-up to this clash, but are yet to face a stern European test this season, losing to both Liverpool and Arsenal in the league phase.
They did, however, knock Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey over two legs last week, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham is scheduled for an 8pm GMT kick-off on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
The match will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid.
Where to watch Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm GMT ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau at the ground.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham team news
Tottenham’s injury woes which undercut Thomas Frank’s managerial reign have persisted into Tudor’s tenure.
He will, however, hope to have some fresh faces on the plane to Madrid. Among those tipped to return are Djed Spence and Radu Dragusin, who both missed the Palace defeat through injury.
Destiny Udogie is set to miss out with a thigh injury, while Lucas Bergvall will stay at home with an ankle sprain. Ben Davies is also set to sit out for another few weeks.
Mohammed Kudus’ injury to a tendon in his quad will also keep him out of contention until next month.
Wilson Odobert and James Maddison are both out for the season, while Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski are also dealing with long-term injuries.
Micky van de Ven will be available despite being sent off against Crystal Palace. Cristian Romero is also available.
Tudor will, of course, offer an update on the state of his squad as he previews the match at his press conference on Monday evening.
Comparatively, Diego Simeone has very few concerns. Midfielder Pablo Barrios is out with a thigh injury, while Rodrigo Mendoza is out with an ankle sprain. Ilias Kostis is out for the season with an ACL rupture.
Julian Alvarez should start up top for Atletico. His five goals in nine appearances this season make him the eighth-most productive goalscorer in the competition, level with his team-mate Alexander Sorloth and Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes.
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham prediction
Tottenham are yet to show any signs of forward progress under Tudor’s instruction, but the Champions League represents largely uncharted waters for the Croat.
He has yet to find a winning formula with the side, and this match will not present a meaningful opportunity for him to do so. Atletico are a strong team in good form, and Simeone may well be licking his lips at the prospect of facing this wounded Tottenham side.
Atletico are far from a flawless outfit, as evidenced by their league phase losses to Bodo/Glimt, Arsenal and Liverpool, but they will surely fancy their chances against a quickly spiralling Spurs.
Atletico to win, 3-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Tottenham have faced Atletico Madrid only once in a competitive match, beating the Spaniards 5-1 in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963. Among the scorers that day were Jimmy Greaves and Terry Dyson, who scored a brace each, and John White.
These two sides also met for a pre-season friendly in Sydney ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, which Atletico won 1-0 thanks to Diego Godin’s winner.
Atletico Madrid wins: 0
Tottenham wins: 1
Draws: 0
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham match odds
Atletico Madrid to win: 1/2
Tottenham to win: 9/2
Draw: 13/5
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
