Beşiktaş chase Atlético redemption

Beşiktaş JK are up against it as they look to block Club Atlético de Madrid’s path to another UEFA Europa League final at the round of 16 stage, with the Spanish side eager to repeat their 2009/10 success.

• The 2009/10 UEFA Europa League winners are 3-1 up from the first leg.  Eduardo Salvio struck twice in three minutes (24 & 27) before Adrián López added a solo third (37). Former Rojiblancos man Simão struck what could be a vital 53rd-minute reply for the Black Eagles.

Previous meetings
• The sides have been paired for the first time in UEFA competition.

• Atlético's record in 11 games against Turkish sides is W7 D3 L1 (W3 D3 L0 at home – W4 D0 L1 in Turkey). They beat Beşiktaş's Istanbul rivals Galatasaray AŞ in the round of 32 en route to winning the inaugural UEFA Europa League in 2009/10.

• Atlético's lone defeat against Süper Lig opposition was a 1-0 at MKE Ankaragücü in the second leg of a 1999/00 UEFA Cup first round tie. They had already won the first leg 3-0.

• Beşiktaş's 14 games against Spanish sides have ended W3 D3 L9 (W3 D2 L2 at home – W0 D1 L7 away).

Match background
• Beşiktaş had won all four of their European home matches this season, averaging three goals a game, but went down 1-0 to SC Braga in their round of 32 decider, surviving by virtue of a 2-0 first-leg success in Portugal.

• Atlético have lost just one of their last eight European away games – 2-0 at Udinese Calcio in this season's UEFA Europa League group stage – with that run including five wins and two draws.

• Atlético were last in the round of 16 in 2010; they beat Sporting Clube de Portugal, Valencia CF and then Liverpool FC to reach the final, which they won 2-1 against Fulham FC in Hamburg.

• Beşiktaş last reached the last 16 of this competition in 2002/03, beating SK Slavia Praha en route to a quarter-final loss to S.S. Lazio.

Team facts
• Atlético's Falcao has scored five UEFA Europa League goals this season; two fewer than top scorer Matías Suárez and one less than FC Schalke 04's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – the highest scorer left in the competition. The Colombian set a new record with 17 goals in last season's UEFA Europa League for FC Porto.

• Atlético are four goals shy of scoring their 400th in UEFA club competition. This will be their 233rd UEFA game.

• Atlético are playing their 95th UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League game; the final, should they reach it, would be their 100th.

• Beşiktaş's Manuel Fernandes and FC Metalist Kharkiv's José Ernesto Sosa have provided five assists each in this season’s UEFA Europa League – more than any other player in the competition.

• Six of Beşiktaş's 16 UEFA Europa League goals this season have come in the first 15 minutes after the break.

• Beşiktaş's attacking midfielder Simão knows Atlético well, having scored 20 goals in 113 Liga games for the club between 2007 and 2011, when he joined Beşiktaş. On 12 April 2009, he scored the club's 4,000th league goal. He previously played for FC Barcelona from 1999-2001.

• Rüştü Reçber (FC Barcelona 2003-04), Mehmet Aurélio (Real Betis Balompié 2008-10), Manuel Fernandes (Valencia CF 2007-11) and Ricardo Quaresma (FC Barcelona 2003-04) also have Spanish league experience.

• Beşiktaş's Portuguese midfielder Júlio Alves is on loan at the club from Atlético, who signed him from Rio Ave FC in the summer.

• Atlético boast Turkish talent in the form of Arda Turan, who played for Galatasaray AŞ from 2004-11. He scored once in nine Turkish games against Beşiktaş, with those matches ending W4 D1 L4.

• Atlético's Diego and Beşiktaş's Hugo Almeida played up front together at SV Werder Bremen from 2006-09.

• Atlético midfielder Paulo Assunção played at Porto alongside Beşiktaş's Ricardo Quaresma from 2004-08, and Hugo Almeida from 2004-06.

• Beşiktaś defender Sidnei and Atlético forward Eduardo Salvio played together at SL Benfica in 2010/11.

• Atlético midfielder Tiago and Beşiktaş counterpart Manuel Fernandes were team-mates at Benfica in 2003/04.

• Beşiktaş' Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal was once a defender for SC Braga and Porto among others. In 2009/10 he coached Sporting before coming to Istanbul in 2011.

• Carvalhal came up against Atlético as Sporting coach in the round of 16 two seasons ago. His side went out on away goals as the Spanish team went on to lift the trophy.

• Diego Simeone replaced Gregorio Manzano as Atlético coach on 23 December. The former Argentina midfielder had two spells at the club as a player, winning a domestic double in 1995/96. He won the 1997/98 UEFA Cup with Inter and is coaching in Europe for a second time, having helped Calcio Catania avoid relegation from Serie A in 2010/11.

Competition statistics
• An updated version of the UEFA Europa League Statistics Handbook is available here:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=1750416.html