Atlético overpower Spurs as Alvarez, Griezmann lead attacking frenzy

MADRID—Atlético Madrid produced a blistering opening 20 minutes that will live long in Champions League lore, overwhelming a shell-shocked Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 in the first leg of their last-16 tie and carrying a commanding three-goal cushion to London next week.

From the first whistle, Diego Simeone’s side suffocated Spurs with their trademark press, and the punishment arrived almost instantly. Antonín Kinský, the 21-year-old Czech goalkeeper making his first appearance since October, misjudged a routine clearance inside five minutes, gifting Marcos Llorente the opener. The right-back-turned-midfielder has now scored five of his nine Champions League goals against English opposition.

Before the clock struck ten, Antoine Griezmann—electrifying at 34—had pounced on a defensive mix-up to slot home his 44th goal in the competition, moving him one clear of Neymar on the all-time list. Kinský’s nightmare deepened when he slipped again, allowing Julián Alvarez the simplest of tap-ins for 3-0 and prompting Ange Postecoglou to hook his keeper after just 15 minutes, equalling the earliest substitution between the sticks in knockout-phase history.

Robin Le Normand’s towering header—confirmed only by goal-line technology—made it four, and Alvarez capped a dazzling counter that began with Jan Oblak’s fingertip stop and featured a deft Griezmann back-heel to release the Argentine for a searing solo finish. The strike lifted Alvarez to ten combined goals and assists in this season’s competition, eclipsing Diego Costa’s previous club record of nine.

Tottenham, ravaged by injuries and hovering above the Premier League drop zone, briefly rallied. Pedro Porro hammered in after Atlético switched off at a corner, and Dominic Solanke capitalised on a wayward goal kick to reduce the arreys to 5-2, preserving a glimmer of hope for the return at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Yet the damage was done. Atlético became the fastest side to score three goals in a Champions League knockout match and extended Simeone’s immaculate home record in the latter stages to 14 wins and six draws without defeat.

The victory, however, papered over recurring cracks. Atlético have conceded 21 goals in 11 European outings this term and kept no clean sheets in any of them. Simeone’s decision to leave veteran captain Koke on the bench in favour of a more athletic midfield led by Johnny Cardoso brought early reward going forward, but the defensive lapses that allowed Spurs’ consolation goals underscored a Jekyll-and-Hyde trait that has dogged the campaign.

Still, a three-goal margin heading south of the Thames represents a dream position. If Atlético can marry their explosive attack with even a modicum of defensive focus, the quarter-finals beckon for a side that continues to dream of European glory.

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