Atletico Madrid will host Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Tuesday evening. Diego Simeone’s side aims to secure a crucial advantage at home before the return leg in North London, scheduled eight days later. Simeone, who has narrowly missed out on success in this competition in the past, is keen to go further this time, and his team’s prospects for progression have significantly improved in the last 48 hours.
Tottenham will arrive at the Metropolitano Stadium in Riyadh in notably poor form, having suffered five consecutive defeats in the Premier League. In stark contrast, Atleti boasts an formidable home record, making them confident of securing a substantial victory to take into the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A major positive for Atleti is the confirmed availability of midfielder Pablo Barrios. The 22-year-old has been sidelined since early February due to a thigh injury, but reports confirm he is fit and ready to face Spurs on Tuesday.
Barrios was in excellent form prior to sustaining his injury during Atleti’s Copa del Rey victory over Real Betis. His absence has been felt over the past month, but his timely return is crucial for Los Colchoneros as they enter a demanding series of fixtures.
Barrios Excluded from Real Sociedad Match
Understandably, Atletico is not prepared to take any unnecessary risks with Barrios ahead of the vital Spurs encounter. The plan is for him to resume full group training on Sunday, meaning he will not be available to feature in the match against Real Sociedad the day before.
Coach Simeone is likely to rest many of his regular starters for the Real Sociedad game. This decision comes despite Atletico’s ongoing battle for Champions League qualification alongside Villarreal and Betis, with only an eight-point gap separating the three teams before this weekend’s set of La Liga fixtures.