Atlético in need of win as Qarabağ come to Spain

Club Atlético de Madrid were held to a frustrating draw at Qarabağ FK when the teams met for the first time, and know the importance of getting their first win in this season's UEFA Champions League in the return fixture.

• The goalless draw in Azerbaijan on matchday three leaves Diego Simeone's side third in Group C on two points, three behind second-placed AS Roma and five adrift of Chelsea FC. Qarabağ had cause for celebration last time out, after collecting their first point in the competition.

• Qarabağ will be eliminated from the competition if they lose and Roma win at home to Chelsea.

Match background

Atlético
• The Spanish team played a friendly against FC Baku in 2013, winning 3-0 with Diego Costa – who returned to Atlético in September but is not in their UEFA Champions League squad – scoring one of the goals.

• Beaten 2-1 at home by Chelsea on matchday two, Atlético had opened Group C with a 0-0 draw at Roma.

• The Chelsea defeat ended an 11-match unbeaten run at home in Europe (W9 D2); last term Atleti won five of their six home games.

• Third in Spain in 2016/17, Atlético only missed out on becoming the seventh side to win all six matches in a UEFA Champions League group when they went down 1-0 at FC Bayern München on matchday six last season.

• Simeone's men went on to reach the semi-finals, but a 3-0 first-leg reversal at Real Madrid CF proved too much to retrieve despite a 2-1 second-leg success in the last European game to be played at the Vicente Calderón.

• Atlético won 30 of their last 36 European fixtures at the Calderón, losing just twice.

Qarabağ
• The debutants lost their first two Group C fixtures, going down 2-1 at home to AS Roma on matchday two in their first group stage home game.

• Qarabağ were also beaten 6-0 at Chelsea FC in their first Group C outing, their second successive away loss in Europe.

• The Azerbaijani club reached the group stage for the first time by beating Georgian champions FC Samtredia in the second qualifying round (5-0 home, 1-0 away) and Moldova's FC Sheriff (0-0 home, 2-1 away). In the play-offs, they won 1-0 at home to FC København and advanced on away goals after a 2-1 defeat in Denmark.

• Qarabağ had won their last two away games in Europe before losing at FCK; they had won just two of the previous 11 (D2 L7) however.

• Qarabağ's away record in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages is W2 D1 L7.

• This is Qarabağ's fourth UEFA Champions League campaign; in each of the previous three they were eliminated in the third qualifying round. Last year they ousted F91 Dudelange 3-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round, but lost to FC Viktoria Plzeň (0-0 away, 1-1 home) at the next hurdle.

• In 2016/17, the Baku-based team contested the UEFA Europa League group stage – for the third consecutive year – after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League. They have never gone on to the round of 32, however.

• Qarabağ qualified for the UEFA Champions League after winning the Azerbaijani Premier League for the fifth time in 2016/17 – their fourth straight championship.

Coach and player links
• Míchel scored in Getafe CF's 3-2 win against Atlético on 6 November 2011 – his only goal for the club. He also featured in a 7-0 away defeat in November 2013 for Getafe, and in Sporting Gijón's 3-1 loss at Atlético's former home the Vicente Calderón on 26 April 2009.

• Míchel and Atlético's Miguel Ángel Moyà were team-mates at Getafe between 2011 and 2014.

• Daniel Quintana started his career in Valencia CF's B team (2006–08) and had spells at UD Puçol (2006/07, loan), Ontinyent CF (2008), UD Alzira (2008/09), Racing de Ferrol (2009/10), AD Huracán (2010/11), CD Olímpic de Xàtiva (2011/12) and Gimnàstic de Tarragona (2012/13) in his native Spain. He never faced Atlético.

Match facts

Atlético
• The 2-1 loss to Chelsea FC on matchday two is Atlético's only defeat in their last 18 matches in all competitions, a sequence stretching back to early May.

• Atlético are one of three teams undefeated in the Liga this season, FC Barcelona and Valencia being the others.

• Atlético have drawn five of their six games since matchday two, scoring just four goals in the process.

• Luciano Vietto is without a goal in 2017 – a run of 16 matches without scoring.

• In Saturday's 1-1 draw against Villarreal CF, Diego Godín made his 315th competitive Atlético appearance, a new club record for a foreign-born player, overtaking Luis Amaranto Perea.

• Antoine Griezmann is on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. The winner will be announced on 6 December.

Qarabağ
• Dino Ndlovu serves a one-match ban following his red card against Atlético on matchday three.

• Going for their fifth successive Azerbaijani crown, Qarabağ have collected 22 points from nine matches.

• Qarabağ suffered their first league defeat of the season on 22 October, falling to a 1-0 loss against Gabala SC.

• That defeat ended Qarabağ's 18-match unbeaten run (W14 D4) in domestic competition.

• Qarabağ returned to winning ways by beating Sabail 1-0 on 27 October, Afran Ismayilov scoring the only goal in the final minute.

• Qarabağ have failed to score in three of their last five games. The three goals they have scored in those matches have all come in or after the 85th minute.