Tottenham beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on the night, but it wasn’t enough to guarantee them qualification for the next round of the UCL

Tottenham Hotspur have won their first game of 2026 as they beat Atletico Madrid 3-2.

Victory on the night, but our Champions League campaign comes to an end. pic.twitter.com/B0XhnQKSBB

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 18, 2026

Tottenham delivered a spirited performance right from the start, pushing Atletico Madrid to the edge and giving their fans hope that a comeback was possible. The home crowd was loud, and they were even louder when Kolo Muani scored a free header in the 30th minute to give them the lead.

The belief was on, and Tottenhem were threatening with every attack. However, they say their light dimmed a little bit at the start of the second half, and Julian Alvarez rifled a shot past Vicario to make it 1-1.

This goal didn’t derail the home side as they took the lead five minutes later through Xavi Simons, who saw his low-driven shot end up in the bottom corner. Tottenham were back in the driving seat, and they were giving it their all.

Tel had a chance ti make it 3-1, but his shot was saved, Alvarez on the other end was also denied by Vicario after dancing his way through the Tottenham backline.

Atletico Madrid would later equalize in the 75th minute as Hancko headed in Alvarez’s corner but Tottenham, who knew qualifying for the next round was beyond them, kept pushing for a winner. They had a couple of chances but the Atletico defence held strong; however, in the 90th minute, Tottenham were awarded a penalty.

Simons stepped up and calmly dispatched it to give Tottenham their first win in 2026. Although it wasn’t enough to see them into the next round, it is a confidence boost for the rest of their season. A win against a top side like Atletico after drawing Liverpool on Sunday may just spur the team to fight till the last and avoid relegation.