Atletico Madrid won the tie inside the opening 15 minutes of the first leg in Spain when Igor Tudor’s team failed to handle the enormity of the occasion. They cracked under the pressure just as they had during a frenetic 20 minutes against Crystal Palace in the previous fixture. Perhaps there are those including Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani who remain potent against opponents from overseas. Can they stand up and deliver in the Premier League? There is a vague balance, and Xavi Simons was influential for the first time playing off the left and drifting inside to find pockets of space rather than locked into a dedicated number 10 position.

Source: Daily Mail March 19, 2026 14:54 UTC