Joe Hart has his say on ‘brilliant’ Guglielmo Vicario save in Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid
Joe Hart was left impressed with Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who he believes made a ‘brilliant’ save against Atletico Madrid.
As the Lilywhites looked to overcome the three-goal deficit inflicted in the first leg, Randal Kolo Muani provided hope by giving Spurs a 1-0 lead in the first half.
However, it was Tottenham’s goalkeeper who left Hart in awe as he produced an excellent stop to deny Giovanni Simeone.
The Italian had gone to the ground early as he looked to save the attempt, but Cristian Romero’s deflection sent the ball on a different trajectory.
Vicario managed to react quickly to the deflection to keep Tottenham in the tie against Atletico Madrid and deny the Argentinian.
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What Joe Hart said about Guglielmo Vicario’s save
The issue of Tottenham goalkeepers has been a topical area around N17 as of late, but Vicario showed his qualities as a shot-stopper in the first half against Atletico Madrid.
In truth, the Lilywhites defended valiantly, and the away side did not have many attempts on goal.
| Statistic | Tottenham | Atletico Madrid |
| Possession | 46% | 54% |
| Shots (on target) | 7 (5) | 5 (2) |
| xG | 0.86 | 0.21 |
However, when his teammates needed him most, Vicario stepped up to the occasion, leaving former Man City goalkeeper Hart in awe as he saved an effort from Simeone.
Hart said during TNT’s coverage of the game: “Simeone smashes it, Romero, [deflection], oh brilliant save. He’s gone down, but he’s gone down for the right reasons. Romero puts his body on the line for his team; it felt like he was going to kill his team but for a flailing save from Vicario.”
Tottenham fans were not happy with Vicario against Liverpool but that moment will certainly gain him some praise among fans.
Tottenham beginning to gel under Igor Tudor
The first-half performance for Spurs alongside their display at Anfield are showing that Igor Tudor is beginning to get a tune out of his players.
Fans simply want their players to fight for the team, and over the course of the previous two matches, that has been evident.
The Lilywhites had it all to do to overturn the 5-2 defeat from the first leg, but they have certainly given their all as they attempted to do so.
If the North London club can keep these levels of displays up, then they should steer themselves safely out of the relegation zone.
Summer Focus: Survival contingent
Risk: £250m hit if relegated
Long-term: Maddison, Kulusevski
Date: Tuesday, March 10
Candidates: De Zerbi, Keane, Redknapp, Dyche