Champions League round of 16 first leg: Atlético de Madrid vs Tottenham facts

Atlético de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur meet for the first time in more than 60 years as their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie kicks off at the Estadio Metropolitano.

The Spanish side reached this stage for the 11th time in 13 seasons by beating Club Brugge in the knockout phase play-offs (3-3 a, 4-1 h) after finishing 14th in the league phase.

Spurs were fourth in the league phase to reach this stage for the sixth time and the first in three seasons.

Last match

The sides' only previous meeting proved a memorable one for Spurs, who beat Atleti 5-1 in the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup final in Rotterdam to become the first English club to win a UEFA competition, Jimmy Greaves and Terry Dyson both scoring twice.

This is Atleti's third game against Premier League opponents this season; they lost 2-3 at Liverpool on Matchday 1 and 0-4 at Arsenal on Matchday 3 to make it one win in ten games against English teams (D2 L7).

However, at home Atleti have lost only two of their 17 matches against English visitors (W8 D7).

Atleti have won ten of their 14 European ties against English clubs, though they have lost two of the last three including their most recent, 0-1 to Manchester City in the 2021/22 quarter finals.

A 1-0 win at home to Villarreal on Matchday 1 was only Tottenham's third in their 15 games against Spanish clubs (D5 L7) – though they have been beaten in only one of the last five (W2 D2).

Spurs have never won an away game against a Liga club (D3 L3).

Tottenham have also lost all four two-legged ties against Spanish opposition; this is their first since going down 5-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the 2010/11 quarter finals.

Atlético de Madrid

Atleti are making their 16th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 13th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013/14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Diego Simeone's side lost to their neighbours on penalties in last season's round of 16 (1-2 a, 1-0 h, 2-4 pens). They had finished fifth in the league phase (W6 L2).

Tottenham 

Spurs are making their seventh appearance in the Champions League proper and a sixth in ten seasons. Their last four participations have all stretched into the knockout rounds.

A team coached by Ange Postecoglou claimed Spurs' third UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League in 2024/25. It was Tottenham's first trophy since 2008 and followed their UEFA Cup triumphs in 1972 and 1984.

Key stats

Atleti defender Clément Lenglet made 35 appearances for Tottenham while on loan from Barcelona in 2022/23.

Conor Gallagher joined Spurs from Atleti in January having scored seven goals in his 77 appearances, including one after 28 seconds of their round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid last season.

Last season's defeat by Real Madrid means Atleti have won seven of their 11 round of 16 ties.

Atleti have not lost a home Champions League knockout match since March 1997, when they were defeated 3-2 by Ajax in the quarter-final second leg. Their record since is W13 D7.

The Spanish side have kept 13 clean sheets in their last 18 knockout games in their own stadium.

Atleti have lost only one of their last seven Champions League matches (W4 D2), opening the scoring in six of those.

Tottenham have won eight of their last 11 two-legged European ties.

Spurs are in the round of 16 for the first time since 2022/23, when they were eliminated 1-0 on aggregate by AC Milan to make their record at this stage W2 L5.

Tottenham have won ten of their last 15 European games (D4 L1).

Spurs have opened the scoring in their last five Champions League matches and kept five clean sheets in the last six.

Dominic Solanke has scored in Tottenham's last two Champions League fixtures.