Atlético aim for more of the same

The Vicente Calderón will host its first UEFA Champions League match in eleven years on Matchday 2 when Club Atlético de Madrid welcome Olympique de Marseille to the Spanish capital. Atlético are guaranteed an excited reception from their supporters after opening their Group D campaign in such impressive fashion against PSV Eindhoven and a second win would leave them with a strong chance of progressing.

• Marseille, by contrast, arrive in Spain seeking a positive response after their opening-day defeat at home to Liverpool FC and knowing another setback now would leave them with their backs firmly against the wall.

• Atlético were 3-0 winners at PSV on Matchday 1, Sergio Agüero (9, 36) and Maniche (54) the scorers.

• Agüero also struck the opening goal when Atlético defeated FC Schalke 04 4-0 in the second leg of their third qualifying round tie in Madrid on 27 August. Diego Forlán, Luis García and Maxi Rodríguez added second-half goals as the Spanish side secured a 4-1 aggregate success.

• If those wins have boosted confidence levels in the Atlético ranks, Marseille need a restorative result after succumbing 2-1 at home to Liverpool. Although Erik Gerets' men took a 23rd-minute lead through Lorik Cana, they were soon behind after Steven Gerrard struck twice for the visitors (26, 32), his second goal coming from the penalty spot.

• Atlético have an impressive home record in the European Champion Clubs' Cup. In six previous campaigns between 1958/59 and 1996/97, they recorded 16 wins in 22 matches, with three draws and three losses. One of those defeats was a 3-2 extra-time loss to AFC Ajax in the 1996/97 quarter-finals, their most recent tie on home turf.

• Marseille won their opening group stage match of 2007/08 at Liverpool 1-0 but their subsequent four away journeys in Europe last season all produced defeats – two in the UEFA Champions League and another two in the UEFA Cup.

• This is Atlético's first meeting with French opposition since they faced RC Lens in the UEFA Cup fourth round in March 2000, going down 4-2 in France after a 2-2 home draw.

• The Rojiblancos' overall home record against Ligue 1 sides is three wins and one draw from four matches.

• Marseille's last encounter with Spanish opponents was a UEFA Intertoto Cup final tie against RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2005 which the Ligue 1 side won 5-3 on aggregate. After a 2-0 loss in Spain, OM ran out 5-1 winners at home through efforts from Franck Ribéry, Abdoulaye Méïté, Andrés Mendoza, Mamadou Niang and Wilson Oruma.

• Their two other visits to Spain brought a 4-2 loss at Real Madrid CF in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage and a 0-0 draw at RC Celta de Vigo in the quarter-finals of the 1998/99 UEFA Cup, which secured a 2-1 aggregate win.

• Marseille also went down to Spanish opposition in the 2004 UEFA Cup final, losing 2-0 to Valencia CF in Gothenburg.

• During his time at CA Osasuna, Atlético coach Javier Aguirre oversaw a 1-0 aggregate defeat of FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 when leading the Pamplona team to the semi-finals of that competition in 2006/07. Yet Aguirre's Osasuna did lose to RC Lens in the group stage that season and the previous year went down to a third French club, Stade Rennais FC, in the first round.

• Atlético midfielder Maniche was a scorer for former club FC Porto when that season's eventual UEFA Champions League winners prevailed 3-2 at Marseille in the 2003/04 group stage.

• Atlético forward Florent Sinama Pongolle was in the Liverpool team beaten by Marseille in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

• Marseille coach Gerets has never faced Atlético before although as a player with PSV, he visited the Spanish capital twice for European Cup ties against Atlético's neighbours Real Madrid CF. His PSV side drew 1-1 there in the 1987/88 semi-final – subsequently winning on away goals after a goalless second leg – but went down 2-1 after extra time on their return to Madrid for a quarter-final tie the following season.

• The other Group D fixture on Matchday 2 pits Liverpool against PSV at Anfield.