Leverkusen tackle last-16 hoodoo against Atlético

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have the opportunity to turn the tables on Club Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16; two seasons ago at this stage, the Spanish side came out on top.

Previous meetings
• In the 2014/15 round of 16 first leg, Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored just before the hour to give Leverkusen a 1-0 home victory; Tiago was sent off for the visitors.

• The line-ups at the BayArena on 25 February 2015 were:
Leverkusen: Leno, Hilbert, K Papadopoulos, Spahić, Wendell, Bender (Rolfes 68), Castro, Bellarabi, Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Brandt 87), Son Heung-Min, Drmić (Kiessling 80).
Atlético: Moyà, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Siqueira (Gámez 38), Arda Turan (Torres 64), Gabi, Tiago, Saúl Ñíguez (Raúl García 42), Mandžukić, Griezmann.

• Atlético drew level on aggregate in the return through Mario Suárez and that took it to penalties, the hosts eventually going through 3-2. Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Ömer Toprak and Stefan Kiessling missed for the visitors, Raúl García and Koke failing for Atlético; Fernando Torres settled it by converting Atleti's fifth kick.

• The line-ups on 17 March 2015 were:
Atlético: Moyà (Oblak 23), Juanfran, Giménez, Miranda, Gámez, Arda Turan, Mario Suárez, Koke, Cani (Raúl García 46), Griezmann, Mandžukić (Torres 83).
Leverkusen: Leno, Hilbert, Ömer Toprak, Spahić, Wendell, Bender (K Papadopoulos 104), Castro,  Bellarabi , Hakan Çalhanoğlu,  Son Heung-Min (Rolfes 77), Drmić (Kiessling 69).

• The clubs played out two 1-1 draws in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage. Simão's penalty (51) cancelled out an Eren Derdiyok goal (39) in Madrid on 30 September 2010, before Fran Mérida (72) equalised Patrick Helmes's opener (69) in Leverkusen on 16 December.

• Jupp Heynckes' Leverkusen ended up top of that UEFA Europa League section while the elimination of Quique Sánchez Flores's Atlético – then holders – was confirmed with the matchday six draw at Leverkusen.

• The line-ups in Germany were:
Leverkusen: Giefer, Vida, Schwaab, Hyypiä, Castro (Da Costa 46), Bender (Vidal 88), Balitsch, Kaplan, Renato Augusto (Kiessling 46), Jörgensen, Helmes.
Atlético: De Gea, Valera, Perea, Álvaro Domínguez, Filipe Luís, Paulo Assunção, Mario Suárez (Tiago 84), Raúl García, Simão (Mérida 71), Forlán (Costa 67), Agüero.

Match background

Leverkusen
• The German team, who qualified as Group E runners-up behind AS Monaco FC, have never won a last-16 tie and have suffered some heavy defeats at this stage:
2013/14 Paris Saint-Germain 0-4 h, 1-2 a (1-6 agg)
2011/12 FC Barcelona 1-3 h, 1-7 a (2-10 agg)
2004/05 Liverpool FC 1-3 a, 1-3 h (2-6 agg)

• Although the Werkself reached the final in 2002, losing to Real Madrid CF, that was when the tournament featured a second group stage.

• In this season's group phase, Leverkusen recorded two home draws and beat AS Monaco FC 3-0. They are unbeaten at home in UEFA competition since a 1-0 loss to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 26 November 2014, a run of ten games (W5 D5).

• Roger Schmidt's men were eliminated in last season's group stage – losing 2-1 at Barcelona and drawing 1-1 at home – and went on to reach the UEFA Europa League round of 16 before falling to Villarreal CF (0-2 a, 0-0 h).

• Leverkusen's home record against Spanish sides is W7 D5 L5. They have lost their last six two-legged ties against Spanish opposition. Their last victory came when they overcame RCD Espanyol in the 1988 UEFA Cup final (3-3 agg, 3-2 pens).

Atlético
• Atleti were European Cup runners-up for the third time last term when going down 5-3 on penalties to neighbours Real Madrid CF in Milan on 28 May.

• The Rojiblancos are looking to reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup for the ninth time. Last year they won a second successive round of 16 tie on penalties, beating PSV Eindhoven 8-7 after two goalless matches – a UEFA Champions League first for any two-legged knockout tie.

• Diego Simeone's men won 1-0 at both PSV and FC Rostov in this season's group stage. Their 1-0 defeat at FC Bayern München on matchday six prevented them joining the six teams to have won all six games in a UEFA Champions league group stage, although they still finished as section winners.

• Atlético have lost on their last three visits to Germany where their record reads P18 W5 D3 L10. Overall – both home and away – it is P38 W18 D6 L14.

• Diego Godín, Koke, Filipe Luís and Tiago played when Atlético last won in Germany – 2-1 at Hannover 96 in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

• They have won nine and drawn five of their 20 UEFA Champions League away matches since September 2013.

• Los Colchoneros have won their last seven two-legged ties against German sides. Their last aggregate defeat came against 1. FC Dynamo Dresden in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup first round.

• Atlético lost the 1974 European Champion Clubs' Cup final against Bayern, going down 4-0 in a replay after a 1-1 draw.

Coach and player links
• Javier Hernández scored the only goal of Real Madrid's 1-0 aggregate win over Atlético in the 2014/15 quarter-finals.

• Hernández also found the net in Mexico's 3-1 triumph over Šime Vrsaljko's Croatia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup group stage.

• Hakan Çalhanoğlu was on target in Turkey's 1-1 draw against Vrsaljko's Croatia in World Cup qualifying in September 2016.

• Diego Godín struck in Uruguay's 3-1 loss to Hernández's Mexico in the 2016 Copa América group stage.

• Simeone faced Leverkusen twice as a player with SS Lazio in the 1999/2000 first group stage, appearing as a late substitute in 1-1 draws in both Germany and Italy.

• Antoine Griezmann got both France goals in their UEFA EURO 2016 semi-final victory over Germany. Bernd Leno and Jonathan Tah were unused Germany substitutes.

• Aleksandar Dragović scored in Austria's 2-1 friendly loss to Filipe Luís's Brazil in November 2014.

• International team-mates:
Tin Jedvaj and Vrsaljko (Croatia)
Jan Oblak and Kevin Kampl (Slovenia)

Match facts

Leverkusen
• Hakan Çalhanoğlu is suspended. Benjamin Henrichs is a booking away from a ban.

• Leverkusen have had a mixed time since matchday six, winning four, losing three and drawing one.

• The Werkself have kept one clean sheet in their last seven games.

• Hernández has scored five in his past three outings having previously gone 18 without a goal for club and country.

• Tah has been out with a hamstring injury since 3 February.

• Leverkusen are ten matches unbeaten at home in European competition.

• Ömer Toprak will join Borussia Dortmund this summer.

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: Leon Bailey (KRC Genk)
• Out: Robbie Kruse (Liaoning FC)

Atlético
• Simeone's men have won nine and lost three of their 16 games since matchday six. Copa del Rey ambitions ended in the semi-finals against Barcelona at the start of February.

• Atlético have finished in the top three in the Liga four seasons running but it is currently Sevilla providing the nearest challenge to Real Madrid and Barcelona.

• Atlético have won just three of their last eight fixtures.

• The Rojiblancos have converted only three of their nine penalties this season, with the last three all failing to find the net (one each for Griezmann, Kevin Gameiro and Fernando Torres).

• Atlético are unbeaten in seven away games in 2017.

• Torres has scored three goals in his last four appearances.

• Griezmann has scored seven goals in 12 games in 2017.

• Kevin Gameiro scored a hat-trick in the space of four minutes and 47 seconds to take the score from 1-1 to 4-1 at Sporting Gijón on Saturday, just four seconds off the record set by David Villa in 2006 for Valencia against Athletic Club

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: none
• Out: none