Trending 
Atletico Madrid weathered a spirited late charge from Tottenham Hotspur to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals, despite falling to a 3-2 defeat in North London on Wednesday.
Leading by four goals after a dominant first leg, Diego Simeone’s side appeared rattled by a transformed Tottenham squad under interim manager Igor Tudor.
Ultimately, a 7-5 aggregate scoreline was enough to send the Spanish club through to an all-La Liga quarter-final clash against Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.
Tottenham, currently fighting to avoid Premier League relegation, displayed unexpected grit throughout the match.
Randal Kolo Muani opened the scoring with a powerful header, and Xavi Simons kept hopes alive with a brilliant long-range strike and a late stoppage-time penalty.
However, clinical equalisers from Julian Alvarez and David Hancko ensured Atletico maintained their aggregate cushion, effectively extinguishing Tottenham’s “mission impossible” despite their 3-2 victory on the night.
The result leaves Tottenham to focus entirely on their domestic survival, as they sit just one point above the relegation zone.
For Atletico, the performance was erratic, and they will need to find more consistency before facing league leaders Barcelona in the next round.
While Tottenham exit the competition, the determined display may provide a much-needed morale boost ahead of their crucial weekend clash against Nottingham Forest.
