Atlético Madrid host Tottenham Hotspur at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Riyadh on Tuesday the 10th of March, 2026. Kick off is 8 pm GMT and that’s 9 pm WAT or 9 pm CET.
This first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie sees Diego Simeone‘s Atleti, who’ve been doing pretty solid in La Liga, welcoming a Tottenham side that’s been struggling at home in the Premier League but are starting to find some European form which is probably a welcome relief from their domestic woes. The return leg is at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 18th of March.
Match Summary
Atlético Madrid weren’t exactly setting the world on fire in the league but they did manage to scrape through the playoffs with a 7-4 aggregate win over Club Brugge. At home at the Metropolitano they’re tough to beat and look to have a couple of real threats in Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth. Tottenham, sitting in a pretty sorry state in the Premier League with relegation looming, have got to the knockout stages for the first time in ages and are probably hoping that the Champions League can be a bit of an escape from all that’s been going wrong for them. There’s not a lot of recent history to draw on with these two but way back in the day in the 1960s Tottenham did knock them out in the Cup Winners’ Cup and that’s probably about it. Expect a real battle at the Metropolitano with the atmosphere going to be electric – it’ll be a game of wits, a bit of muscle and the odd set-piece thrown in – should see a few goals fly in. Over 2.5 goals has been the theme for a lot of big European games between these two.
Head to Head: There really isn’t a lot of modern history to draw on here but at least on paper, Atleti’s experience in the knockout stages is probably a bit of an advantage for them.
Possible Lineups
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak – Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri – Lookman, Koke, Cardoso, Giuliano Simeone – Álvarez, Sørloth
Diego Simeone has a pretty solid hand to choose from with not too many major injuries – Julián Álvarez is leading the line with his hold-up play and finishing, supported by Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sørloth for the goals.
Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-2 or 4-3-3): Vicario – Danso, Romero, Van de Ven – Porro, Gallagher, Palhinha, Sarr, Gray – Tel, Solanke
Thomas Frank is going to be hoping that the returns to fitness of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will sort out their backline for this one – but they still look short up front – Dominic Solanke will be the main man and Mathys Tel will be hoping to cause some problems on the break.
Prediction
If I’m being honest Atleti are probably favourites to take the first leg – they’ve got a pretty strong home record and the sort of organisation under Diego Simeone that’s going to make life tough for Tottenham. But, you never know, Thomas Frank has still got a bit to work with, particularly with Dominic Solanke looking to cause some problems on the break. So it’s probably going to be a proper old-fashioned game of two halves – lots of muscle, a few set pieces and if Dominic Solanke gets in on the break it could be the difference. At the end of the day though I think the Atleti at home just about have the edge. Final Score prediction: Atlético Madrid 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
