Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League appearance may have come to an abrupt end on Wednesday night, but Igor Tudor’s side continued to fight and secured their first win under the Croatian manager against Atletico Madrid.
In a midweek that saw the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United torn apart, Spurs looked like one of the few teams capable of pulling off a surprise comeback against Diego Simeone’s side from the off.
The Lilywhites, who played with nothing to lose after suffering a car accident during last week’s trip to the Spanish capital, were looking forward to seeing what the future holds, with all the pieces starting to come together under the Tudor regime.
Spurs vs Atleti – match statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
spurs | status | athlete |
51% | Possession | 49% |
2.45 | xG | 1.04 |
18 | shot | 18 |
5 | keep | 8 |
7 | corner | 7 |
16 | foul | 8 |
415 | path | 404 |
8 | tackle | 27 |
7 | free kick | 16 |
4 | yellow | 3 |
The final result may have been a waste considering the aggregate scoreline of 5-7, but after so much turbulence there may be light at the end of the tunnel rather than an oncoming train.
Tudor was right in Spurs’ win over Atleti
Injury problems and absences continued, with Richarlison and Dominic Solanke both suspended or missing due to injury, and Tudor seemed to have been forced into a bit of a stretch.
That said, the 47-year-old has benefited from not making big bets and placing players in his preferred roles after trying out the likes of Antonin Kinski and Souza in recent games.
His selection was clear, with Matthijs Tell particularly effective on the left flank, assisting Randal Kolo Muani’s header.
Kolo Muani, who completed just one pass in an anonymous display a week ago, looked much brighter this time, with this effort on the half-hour mark taking him up to four goals in the Champions League this season.
The decision to settle on a midfield pairing of Papu Matar Sarr and Archie Gray, forced or not, is starting to bear fruit for the latter in particular, with the Englishman reaping the benefits of operating at home after a period of frequent chopping and substituting over the past 18 months.
Defensively, the fluid use of a back three or back five worked wonders, with Pedro Polo flying forward on the right flank supported by the ever-developing Radu Dragusin.
Wednesday was a landmark night in another way for the North Londoners, with plenty to be positive about ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash with Nottingham Forest.
On his breakthrough night, the Spurs star looked like a Bale-Modrić hybrid
It was almost 16 years ago that Gareth Bale made his name known to the world following his breakthrough at Inter Milan. The Welsh wing wizard saved Tottenham’s blushes with a second-half hat-trick after a 4-0 defeat at San Siro.
Although not quite there, there were similarities when it came to Xavi Simons’ performance on Wednesday night, with the Dutchman performing very well alongside Gray against Europe’s elite teams.
The £52m Spurs signing had a mixed start to life in the capital, but it was the night when everything clicked into place as he put on a show in his preferred number 10 slot.
His efforts may have been as futile as Bale’s before him, but the way he curled home at 2-1 before winning and converting a penalty in stoppage time was something of a talisman.
The 22-year-old drifted into gaps in space on numerous occasions, weaving his way through seas of Atleti defenders, and was somewhat unlucky not to pick up a foul, particularly in the build-up to Julian Alvarez’s late equaliser.
The visiting team could not contain him, and Simmons in particular recorded five important passes, completed four out of six dribble attempts, and won nine out of a total of 14 duels.
There was certainly a balletic quality to his play, reminiscent of a certain Luka Modric in his flamboyance, a diminutive talent who glided across the pitch and pulled the strings with ease.
Modric’s characteristic ability to win the ball can be seen in two key moments. At the end of Tottenham’s rapid breakthrough in the first half, Simmons first played a superb sweep pass that Tell was eventually denied by Juan Russo in the closing stages.
After the break, Modric looked set to fade after a nice flick from Simmons left Polo free in the penalty area, but Musso proved to be the hero again by denying the Spaniard’s out-the-boot attempt.
Consistency would be the word right now for the former RB Leipzig man, but it felt like the night it all really came together in a Tottenham shirt, just as it did for Bale all those years ago.
May it continue for a long time.
Better than Simmons: new Dembele showed he is ‘future Spurs captain’
Spurs secured their first win under manager Igor Tudor, with Xavi Simons also one of the players to watch.
