Tottenham 3-2 Atletico Madrid (5-7 agg): Spurs bow out after battling Champions League display | OneFootball

Spurs ended search for first win under interim head coach

Tottenham bowed out of the Champions League but only after a rip-roaring last-16 second leg with Atletico Madrid where Xavi Simons' brace helped them to a first home victory in two months.

Randal Kolo Muani's 30th-minute opener gave Tottenham a glimmer of hope before Julian Alvarez levelled early in the second half for Atletico.

Simons replied immediately to increase optimism, but David Hancko's 75th-minute equaliser virtually put the tie to bed.

There was still time for Simons to score a spot-kick in stoppage time to end Spurs' eight-match winless run with a 3-2 victory and extend an unbeaten home record in Europe to 25 matches, but all eyes now turn to Premier League survival and Sunday's crucial visit of Nottingham Forest.

The odds were heavily stacked against Tottenham after goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky's nightmare in Madrid, but any comeback would have officially been over had the offside flag not denied Ademola Lookman after six minutes.

Without 11 players, Tudor stuck with the successful 4-4-2 system used at Anfield and belief started to build thanks to two early shots by Mathys Tel.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero had to be alert to cut out a dangerous Marcos Llorente cross before another Tel strike tested Atletico back-up goalkeeper Juan Musso.

Tel had been a constant threat and with half-an-hour played he made his mark with a superb cross for Kolo Muani to head into the bottom corner.

Suddenly Spurs had hope and they may have gone 2-0 up when a slick move played in Tel, but his left-footed shot was blocked by Musso when Archie Gray was free at the back post.

Atletico had been second-best, but provided a reminder of their talent when Alvarez whistled a shot over before Guglielmo Vicario produced a wonderful reflex save to keep out Giuliano Simeone's deflected strike.

It was a warning sign Tottenham failed to heed as two minutes after the break Alvarez levelled.

Spurs felt Simons was fouled, but play continued and Lookman teed up Alvarez, who worked a yard of space and rifled into the top corner with a sumptuous strike.

It was a sucker-punch for Spurs and yet they responded with aplomb when Simons put them back in front after 52 minutes.

The excellent Gray was the architect after he nipped in to win back possession before finding Simons and the Dutch playmaker curled home from 25 yards.

It sparked a wave of optimism inside the stadium and Tottenham's big chance arrived on the hour when Simons flicked into the path of Pedro Porro, but his shot with the outside of his boot was tipped wide by Musso.

Radu Dragusin headed straight at Musso from the resulting corner before fatigue set in and Spurs switched off from a corner when Hancko headed in at the near post with 15 minutes left.

A crucial Romero blocked prevent a third for Atletico via Alvarez before Tottenham deservedly grabbed a winner when home debutant Callum Olusesi found Simons, who was hacked down by Jose Maria Gimenez.

Simons tucked away the penalty and despite a blocked late Kolo Muani chance, Spurs were applauded off at full-time.