PSV seeking a gap in the clouds at Atlético
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Article summary
Winless PSV Eindhoven are looking to avoid their worst performance in a UEFA Champions League group stage campaign as they visit already qualified Atlético Madrid.
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![Atlético defender Juanfran (left) tackles PSV's Jetro Willems on matchday one Atlético defender Juanfran (left) tackles PSV's Jetro Willems on matchday one](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0231-0e95a375ca52-28607b64b574-1000/format/wide1/atletico_defender_juanfran_left_tackles_psv_s_jetro_willems_on_matchday_one.jpeg?imwidth=158)
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PSV Eindhoven return to the scene of their UEFA Champions League elimination last term when they visit a Club Atlético de Madrid side already qualified for this season's round of 16.
Previous meetings
• Atlético overcame PSV on penalties after two 0-0 draws in the last 16 in 2015/16. Gastón Pereiro was sent off in the first leg in Eindhoven, but the main drama came after 120 minutes in Madrid where Atlético prevailed 8-7 on penalties. Luciano Narsingh was the only player to err from the spot, striking the crossbar before Juanfran sealed PSV's fate.
• The line-ups for the second leg at the Vicente Calderón on 15 March were:
Atlético: Oblak, Juanfran, Giménez, Godín (Hernández 89), Filipe Luís, Koke, Gabi, Augusto (Torres 56), Saúl Ñíguez, Griezmann, Carrasco (Kranevitter 75).
PSV: Zoet, Arias, Bruma, Moreno, Isimat-Mirin, Willems (Brenet 75), Pröpper, Guardado, Van Ginkel, De Jong (Narsingh 118), Locadia (Lestienne 87).
• When the clubs met in the 2008/09 group stage, Atlético won 3-0 in Eindhoven on matchday one before beating PSV 2-1 at home.
Match background
Atlético
• Group D leaders Atlético secured their progress to the knockout stage on matchday four by beating FC Rostov 2-1 through a 93rd-minute Antoine Griezmann goal.
• With four straight wins, Atlético have equalled their best start to a UEFA Champions League campaign, previously recorded in 2013/14.
• The Rojiblancos have won 27 of their last 32 European matches at the Vicente Calderón, losing just twice.
• Atlético's overall home record against visitors from the Netherlands is W4 D1 L1. Diego Simeone played for Atlético in their solitary home defeat by a Dutch club – the 3-2 loss to AFC Ajax in the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
PSV
• Bottom of Group D, the visitors face a battle with Rostov, their matchday six opponents, for third place and entry into the UEFA Europa League.
• Winless PSV are at risk of recording their lowest points' total in a UEFA Champions League group stage campaign. Currently their poorest performances came in 2008/09 (three points) and 1992/93 (one point); the latter campaign is the only time they have gone through a group stage in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League without winning a single match.
• PSV lost 1-0 at home to Atlético on matchday one and their record in Spain hardly augurs well: no wins from 13 previous visits (D5 L8).
Coach and player links
• Simeone captained Argentina in a 2-1 loss to Phillip Cocu's Netherlands in the 1998 FIFA World Cup quarter-final in Marseille.
• Simeone lost 1-0 at PSV as an SS Lazio player in the UEFA Champions League first group stage in September 2001.
• Cocu made 292 appearances for Barcelona between 1998 and 2005. He faced Atlético six times (W2 D2 L2) and was sent off in a 0-0 Liga draw at the Vicente Calderón in September 2003. Fernando Torres started the game for the home side as did current assistant coach Germán Burgos. Simeone was an unused substitute.
• Andrés Guardado played for RC Deportivo La Coruña (2007–12) and Valencia CF (2012–14). He scored Deportivo's winner in a 2-1 Liga home victory against Atlético on 21 November 2009.
• With RCD Espanyol (2011–15), Héctor Moreno faced Atlético seven times (W2 D1 L4).
• Yannick Carrasco scored for Belgium in a 1-1 friendly draw against a Netherlands side including second-half substitutes Joshua Brenet and Bart Ramselaar in Amsterdam on 9 November.
• Pereiro (Uruguay) and Ángel Correa (Argentina) were on opposing sides in the 2015 U-20 South American Championship final in Montevideo. Pereiro opened the scoring for Uruguay, but Correa hit the winner in Argentina's 2-1 triumph.
• Played together:
Nicolas Isimat-Mirin & Carrasco (AS Monaco FC 2013/14).
Match facts
Atlético
• Filipe Luis is a booking away from a ban.
• Atlético have lost three of their past five matches, having started the season with an 11-game unbeaten run.
• Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Real Madrid CF – Cristiano Ronaldo scored all the goals – was Atlético's first home Liga loss in 23 matches, a run dating back to September 2015.
• Saúl Ñíguez featured in both legs for Spain as they recorded an away-goals victory over Austria in their 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off.
• Carrasco scored in Belgium's 8-1 defeat of Estonia on 13 November in the European Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup. He has eight goals in his last nine outings for club and country.
• Augusto Fernández could miss the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament on 25 September.
• Griezmann is on the 23-man shortlist for the Best FIFA Men's Player 2016 award. The winner will be announced on 9 January.
PSV
• Narsingh scored both goals in a 2-0 friendly win against KRC Genk on 10 November.
• Guardado sustained a thigh injury during Mexico's 2-1 World Cup qualifying triumph over the United States on 18 November and could be unavailable for up to four weeks.
• Jeroen Zoet had been out since 22 October because of muscular problems but returned for Saturday's goalless draw with Willem II.
• Jürgen Locadia (out since 28 August, groin) is still sidelined, while Jorrit Hendrix (28 September, knee) has resumed individual training.