Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid predictions and betting tips – Spurs need a miracle

Mar 18, 2026 - 06:45
Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid predictions and betting tips – Spurs need a miracle

Tottenham Hotspur are 5-2 down on aggregate at the midway point of their Champions League last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid. The Spanish side have one foot in the quarter-finals already. 

Can Spurs salvage something in the second leg in north London, or will Atletico make it two wins from two against the Premier League team?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid odds

Find the latest Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid predictions

It was only a glimmer, but Tottenham Hotspur fans saw reason for hope on Sunday afternoon.

A battling display at Anfield earned Spurs a 1-1 draw against Liverpool after Richarlison notched an equaliser in the 90th minute.

Those in the away end must have feared the worst after Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool the lead in the 18th minute. But although the Reds created a few opportunities to double their lead, Spurs did a decent job of hanging in there.

Still, it looked like they might have missed their chance as the final whistle grew ever closer. Yet to their credit, Tottenham kept going and they had their reward when Richarlison swept the ball into the bottom corner of the Liverpool net late on.

That goal did not really change the picture at the bottom of the Premier League table. Leeds United, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest also drew at the weekend, so it is a case of ‘as you were’ in the relegation battle.

However, it was potentially a massive moment for Tottenham. Most obviously, Richarlison’s strike ensured they retained a one-point buffer above the drop zone.

It also stopped the rot after six defeats on the bounce, one of which came at the hands of Atletico Madrid last week.

It was a torrid night for Tottenham in the first leg of this Champions League last-16 tie. Igor Tudor’s team were complicit in their own downfall. They did not so much shoot themselves in the foot as blow off their entire leg, conceding three times in the first 15 minutes to put Atletico in a commanding position.

From there, Tottenham arguably did well to only lose 5-2, which did not look likely when Atletico went 4-0 up midway through the first half. Even so, Diego Simeone’s side have one foot in the quarter-finals..

Is there any hope for Tottenham? Atletico are a stronger proposition at home than they are away, and an early goal for Tudor’s side would potentially make their opponents nervous.

However, the Champions League is not really a priority for Tottenham while they are fighting for their Premier League lives. You could argue that Spurs’ ideal outcome on Wednesday is going out of the competition but winning on the night.

Results are all-important in the league right now. In Europe this week, a positive performance would arguably be more significant for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid betting tips

Tottenham Hotspur are three goals down at the midway point of this Champions League last-16 tie.

Spurs can get something

Atletico Madrid got after Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg, pressing high up the pitch and forcing them into errors.

Now they have a three-goal lead and are playing away from home, Simeone’s men are likely to adopt a more reactive approach.

Tottenham, for their part, will aim to give their supporters something to cheer about ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash with Nottingham Forest.

A draw, you feel, would not be a bad result for either side. It would send Atletico through to the last eight while representing another small step in the right direction for Spurs.

⚽ Select a draw at 11/4 with bet365 ⚽

No clean sheets?

Tottenham Hotspur were not defensively perfect against Liverpool on Sunday.

Guglielmo Vicario should have kept out Szoboszlai’s free-kick, notwithstanding how sweetly it was struck.

Still, it was a huge improvement on their performance against Atletico Madrid, who sliced through Spurs again and again.
The Colchoneros will not score five times on Wednesday, but they should find the back of the net again. At the same time, we fancy Tottenham to strike too.

⚽ Go for both teams to score at 8/13 with bet365 ⚽

Richarlison to strike again

These Tottenham Hotspur players have been accused of a lack of fight in recent weeks. That is one charge you cannot level against Richarlison.

At times on Sunday, it looked like the Brazil international was on a one-man mission to drag Spurs back into the game.

It was an admirable display from Richarlison, who stood up to be counted when his team needed him most.

Spurs will hope for more of the same when Atletico Madrid visit north London for the second leg. Richarlison is not the most prolific forward of all time, but he is a real handful when he is fully fit and focused, as he appears to be at the moment.

⚽ Pick Richarlison to score any time at 7/4 with bet365 ⚽

Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid predicted lineups

  • Tottenham Hotspur expected lineup: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Tel, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke.
  • Atletico Madrid expected lineup: Musso; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez.

📺 Where to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid

  • Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England.
  • Date and time: Wednesday 18th March, 8pm.
  • How to watch: TNT Sports 3.

More Champions League predictions

We have plenty more Champions League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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