‘I am very confident’ – Igor Tudor believes Tottenham are destined for Premier League survival

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Igor Tudor has opened up on whether he believes Tottenham can turn things around against Atletico Madrid and their chances of avoiding relegation this season.

Tottenham Hotspur have just one chance to secure a piece of silverware this season as they continue to compete in the Champions League.

But they run the risk of losing it all should they fail to overcome a three-goal deficit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Atletico Madrid visit for the second leg of their round of 16 tie.

Spurs will have to draw inspiration from the various times they have managed comebacks in their history if they are to progress to the next round.

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor backs comeback against Atletico Madrid

Putting three past Atletico Madrid is not an impossible task, as both Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano have managed such a feat this campaign already, which should give Spurs some hope.

Tottenham, though, will have to be perfect in every department if they are to force extra time or even win the tie outright by a four-goal margin.

Igor Tudor has not written off their chances and believes Tottenham can still win this encounter, outlining his mindset when speaking to football.london.

He said: “I think both things. It is a game that we should play to pass. The main goal is to be focused on this game, even knowing our first thing is to stay in the league.

“But tomorrow is, let us say, a big challenge after everything that happened in that [first leg] game to show that we can do good things against them, that they are not better than us. Champions League game, all the glory.”

Further addressing whether recent heavy defeats for Atletico Madrid offer encouragement, Tudor admitted it is a difficult task but insisted belief remains within the squad.

He added, “Yeah, difficult but not impossible. We need to stay in the game as much as possible and the game can be long, so focus on our strengths, our things we can have tomorrow and everything still to play. So, believe we can do it. That is the most important thing from the start.”

Spurs confidence boost after Liverpool draw, says Igor Tudor

Tottenham obviously come into this encounter in much better spirits, having managed a hard-fought draw against Liverpool at Anfield, bringing an end to their run of four consecutive defeats.

Tudor has now opened up on the impact that draw has had, explaining how it has lifted belief within the squad.

He said: “Of course. It is important, when you make one good performance like we did, it gives courage to everyone. To confirm the goodwill, to start to change things.

“We started in the training, but we did not see in the games, because of circumstances that happened last game. So it was a little bit frustrating, because as I said before, the players really care, they want to do. As I said, we speak a lot about the moment, so when it is a moment so difficult, it is not easy to start to move the things.

“So this is, I believe, one good moment that happened last game. As I said before, we need to be honest with the things you can give on the pitch, and then the football will give you back. So this happened, and I am happy for the players, for everyone. Now we need to continue in that direction.”

When asked directly about his confidence in Tottenham staying up, Tudor was clear in his response.

He added: “I am very confident.”

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