Tottenham have given their fans something to believe in, Randal Kolo Muani’s header on 30 minutes pulling one back against Atletico Madrid to make it 5-3 on aggregate at a rocking Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Igor Tudor’s side were magnificent in the tie’s opening stages, pressing high and creating a string of chances, a marked contrast to the meek display that saw them fall 5-2 in the first leg in Madrid.
Mathys Tel has been the standout performer, causing problems all evening with his directness and trickery.
It was Tel who provided the breakthrough. Drifting in from the right, the Frenchman picked out Kolo Muani with a pinpoint delivery into the box, and the striker rose to nod firmly into the bottom-left corner.
His fourth Champions League goal of the campaign, and exactly the kind of moment Spurs needed.
Atletico have had their moments, Julian Alvarez sending a deflected effort over the bar and Diego Simeone testing Vicario in a frantic closing spell before half-time, but they have looked nothing like the formidable defensive unit of old.
Vicario has been excellent. A remarkable double save in first-half stoppage time, first palming away a deflected Simeone strike, then readjusting brilliantly to tip around the post, kept the deficit at one.
