Atletico Madrid v. PSV Match Preview
Monday, 24 November 08, 03:46 PM
(To Be Played Wednesday)
Denied early qualification for the last 16 by a penalty equaliser five minutes into added time at Anfield in their last outing, Club Atlético de Madrid will try again when they take on PSV Eindhoven in the Spanish capital on Matchday 5.
• Atlético's 1-1 draw at Liverpool FC on 4 November kept them top of the Group D standings with eight points, ahead of the English club on goal difference. Despite the frustration of dropping two points at the last, they remain strongly placed to progress from the section and will do so if they beat PSV.
• With Atlético and Liverpool both lying five points clear of Olympique de Marseille and PSV, Javier Aguirre's side will also qualify if they draw against the Dutch champions and Liverpool avoid defeat in their home fixture against Marseille.
• PSV, by contrast, missed the chance to close the gap on the top two when losing 3-0 at Marseille on Matchday 4, a defeat that sent them to the foot of the table, with the French side leapfrogging them thanks to a superior head-to-head record.
• Huub Stevens' men now must win in Spain to avoid elimination from the UEFA Champions League although a more realistic aim now would be to try and secure third place ahead of Marseille.
• PSV's recent record on their travels in the UEFA Champions League does not augur well – they have lost four and won one of their last five – and they face opponents with a formidable home record in Europe's élite club competition. In 24 matches, Atlético have recorded 17 wins, four draws and just three losses.
• Atlético were 3-0 winners at PSV on Matchday 1, Sergio Agüero (9, 36) and Maniche (54) the scorers. They subsequently recorded a 2-1 victory against Marseille and 1-1 draw with Liverpool, both at the Vicente Calderón, prior to their previous outing, the draw at Anfield.
• PSV's solitary victory so far was a 2-0 success at home against Marseille on Matchday 3 and they have lost both of their away fixtures so far, going down 3-1 at Liverpool, then 3-0 at Marseille.
• Atlético's home record against Dutch opposition reads three wins and one defeat from four matches, although in each of those ties they finished up losers on aggregate.
• AFC Ajax were the first and also most recent Eredivisie side to come to the Vicente Calderón. Atlético beat them 1-0 in the first leg of their European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final in 1970/71 but lost the tie 3-1 overall.
• In the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals Atlético drew 1-1 in Amsterdam but then lost 3-2 at home after extra time.
• In between, the Madrid club recorded 2-1 home wins against FC Groningen in the first round of the 1983/84 and 1988/89 UEFA Cup competitions only to crash out after away defeats.
• Atlético's overall record against Dutch sides is P9 W4 D1 L4.
• This is PSV's eleventh away match against Spanish opposition and they are stilll seeking a first victory. Their record in Spain is P10 W0 D4 L6.
• PSV have never visited Atlético before but they have taken on their cross-city rivals Real Madrid CF four times in the Spanish capital, recording one draw and three defeats. That solitary draw came in the first leg of their 1987/88 European Cup semi-final – the 1-1 scoreline setting up an away goals triumph for PSV after a goalless second leg. Gerets featured in both of those matches as well as the final which the Dutch club won on penalties against SL Benfica.
• PSV coach Stevens has a good record against Spanish opposition. As a player with PSV, he was in the team that beat Real Sporting de Gijón 1-0 on aggregate in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup first round.
• As coach of FC Schalke 04, Stevens oversaw victories against Valencia CF and CD Tenerife en route to their 1996/97 UEFA Cup final win against FC Internazionale Milano. His Schalke side lost 1-0 at home against RCD Mallorca in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League group stage but then defeated them 4-0 on their travels.
• PSV trio Otman Bakkal, Dirk Marcellis and Erik Pieters were in the Netherlands team beaten by an Argentina side featuring Atlético's Sergio Agüero in the last eight of the Olympic Football Tournament in China. Bakkal scored for the Netherlands but it was not enough to prevent a 2-1 extra-time reverse.
• Atlético's Dutch international defender, John Heitinga, will need no introduction to PSV having spent seven seasons in the first team of their Eredivisie rivals AFC Ajax, prior to decamping to the Spanish capital last summer. In his time at Ajax Heitinga played nine Eredivisie matches against PSV and finished on the losing side in five of them, all bar one of those losses coming in home matches.
• Atlético forward Diego Forlán had a brief spell playing alongside PSV defender Jan Kromkamp with Villarreal CF during the 2005/06 season.
• Atlético's Luis García played for Liverpool FC against PSV in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage while goalkeeper Grégory Coupet was in the Olympique Lyonnais side that eliminated the Eindhoven club in the first knockout round the previous season. He was also part of the team that lost on penalties to the Dutch side in the 2004/05 quarter-finals.
• The Spanish club's Czech defender, Tomáš Ujfaluši, featured in the Fiorentina side that beat PSV 3-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals last term.
• PSV's French defender Jérémie Bréchet made 20 league appearances for Real Sociedad de Fútbol during a two-year stay in Spain between 2004 and 2006.
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Second Half
Wednesday, 22 October 08, 02:53 PM
90' (+3): That is it. The final whistle goes off here in Madrid. Great ending to this match! WOW! Both teams have 7 points now. Thank you for joining me. Good night from Madrid.
90' (+1):
Simao delivers the corner
90':
3 added minutes
86': Kuyt is offside. *screaming at TV* COME ON LIVERPOOL! GET A GOAL! LUCAS! SCORE! SOMEONE SCORE!!! Crap, I think that I just made my throat worse....and while I am saying this, Babel almost scores.
85': Renia has to be alert to make a save from Miguel after he smashed a half-volley into the ground that then bounced up.
82': GOAL!!! Simao scores! The man that made it level against Real Madrid on Saturday has made it level here in Madrid. This could be the goal that saves coach Aguirre's job...
75': On comes Miguel for Sinama-Pongolle
74': On comes Lucas for Xabi
72': On comes Raul Garcia for Camacho
71': Alonso with a decent low shot that just goes wide. Franco make have got a little touch on it. The referee gives a corner but Liverpool can't do anything with it
63': Babel springs a counter attack and plays in Kuyt but the ball gets stuck under the feet of the Dutchman.
60': Gerrard is coming off for Ryan Babel
58': I have just been informed that the reason why Keane came off so early is because he has a groin injury. The injury woes keep going for the Liverpool fans. Lets just hope it isnt as bad as Nando's
57': Business is picking up here in Madrid!! WOW! DISGRACEFUL DECISION FROM THE LINESMAN AGAIN. Great play from Atletico to shift the ball from right to left and Maniche curls a great shot into the corner of the net but again the flag goes up when Maniche was CLEARLY onside.
53': Forlan is charged with offside when he is MILES on and the linesman down that end is having a shocker.
49': Kuyt comes on for Keane
48': Liverpool still doing all the pressing though - Benayoun has just swept the ball into the net after some nice passing but he was just offside.
46':
Kun has entered the game for Luis Garcia
46':
Ok, we are back everyone. I will have limited comments due to the fact that my dad is home now and he wants me in bed because I am hella sick.... :(
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First Half
Wednesday, 22 October 08, 01:42 PM
Half Time:
There we go everyone! Great half if you are a Liverpool fan. Please, check back here for the second half.
43': Great save by Reina!
41': Forlan misses the target
39':
Riera goes into the book
38': Good play by Liverpool and Riera in the box tries to jink past Lopez. The Atletico player drags his foot but Riera makes a meal of things and dives to the ground. Worse acting than Ben Affleck and he gets a deserved yellow card for his troubles. :P
37':
Carra fouls
34': Gerrard finds Keane who then almost finds Benayoun but Lopez nicks in to make an important tackle
33': Atletico finally string a few passes together in the final third but then Lopez strays offside.
29': Arbeloa fouls.
28': Gerrard takes the free kick
26': Luis Garcia fouls.
22': Now Alonso tries from distance but it flies over. But Liverpool well on top it has to be said. Atletico have looked very poor.
18': Atletico have lost their last three games in La Liga and they really do look low in confidence. Those three games were against Sevilla, Barcelona and Real to be fair but they love pressing the panic button in Spain.
15': Maniche tries an effort from distance but that goes well over the bar.
12': GOAL!! ROBBIE KEANE GIVES LFC THE LEAD!
12':
Dossena commits the foul on Garcia
11': Lots of noise from the home fans but very little for them to cheer. Liverpool looking the sharper team here.
7': Bright start this by Liverpool - Dossena with a great run down the left and then he puts in a good low cross that Atleti's defenders have to work together to clear.
7':
Keane is offside
3': Driving run forward from Gerrard he puts in a sort of cross-shot that is deflected by Joshua, who is making his debut tonight, the Spanish then make a bit of a mess trying to clear the danger but they finally do.
1': We are off here in Madrid. Lots of Torres flags, scarves and shirts in the home section but the former darling of the Atletico fans is of course injured. The teams here in Madrid are in and there are some surprises. Robbie Keane will start as a lone striker for Liverpool with Dirk Kuyt dropping to the bench. Atletico star Sergio Aguero has been rested and is only on the bench. Pablo has not been risked so there is a start for 19 year-old Joshua at the back. Liverpool are without superstar striker Fernando Torres, who misses out on a return to the club where he made his name. Ryan Babel, Philip Degen and Martin Skrtel are also missing. Yossi Benayoun, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane are expected to feature despite slight knocks.
Before Kick Off: WELCOME TO MADRID! Good evening/afternoon to you all. Welcome to Madrid. This is going to be the match of the day today. Torres did not even come with Liverpool. Aguero is starting on the bench due to an injury as well. So, lets see what will happen.
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Second Half
Saturday, 18 October 08, 02:24 PM
Extra Time:
Final whistle goes off here in Madrid. Real got the goal 20 seconds into the match and gets the game winner in the final 30 seconds. Very exciting match just happened here. Thank you for following my very one sided comments! Until next time Madridistas!
90' (+5): Real gets the final laugh and the first laugh in this match. I said that something was going to happen, and it did!
90' (+5): Higuain to take it, and scores!!!
90' (+4):
DRENTHE GETS THE PENALITY
90' (+4): Drenthe called offside.
90' (+3): *screaming at tv* COME ON REAL!! (I am so one sided in this blog...)
90' (+2): Drenthe goes down in box, but ref says play on.
90':
6 minutes to be added.
88': GOAL BY SIMAO! IT IS ALL TIED UP WITH 2 MINUTES LEFT!
86': Higuain breaks away with Drenthe and shoots, very close by Drenthe.
86':
Atletico gets the corner, but cleared away by Real.
86': Sergio Ramos goes into the books for a foul on Simao.
84': A slip from Cannavaro presents the ball to Aguero inside the area...but there is Pepe again to make the block! Superb defending from the big Portuguese. Cannavaro gives him a well-deserved pat on the back for that saving challenge. Pepe proving to be the MotM in this match!
80':
Luis Garcia wins possession in midfield for Atletico and charges through the centre, but both Forlan and Aguero run off in different directions as he looks to thread a ball through the middle. That rather sums up Atletico's play so far in this second half.
74': Simão delievers another free kick, but Gago heads it away. Very nice delievery by Simão.
72': Things seem to be picking up for both teams. A large amount of tackles and wild shots for both teams seem to show that the nerves are starting to kick in again.
71': Gago is bring the ball up field....surely he can do something...
68':
Real gives up a free kick, but Simão puts it over the wall, Iker, and the goal....
67':
Van Der Vaart comes in for Sneijder.
64': Things are somewhat starting to calm down here. It is still pretty physical, but the mood is somewhat calm now in Madrid.
63':
Real are starting to prove this to be a very one sided match. Real are enjoying the possession of the ball and are forcing wonderful saves from Atl. Madrid keeper Leo Franco.
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Second Half
Saturday, 18 October 08, 01:57 PM
Half Time:
Well, it is half time in Madrid and Real lead 1-0. It looked like Ruud Van Nistelrooy had scored a second one in the 21', but it was offside. As you can see above, Van Goal has scored the only goal for Real and he has also been sent to the showers early for a late tackle on Atletico's Maniche.
Atletico also had Perea sent off for an elbow on Real's Wesley Sneijder. It has been a wild first half in Madrid. Real has really shown that they are the team to beat in this match. It has been crazy and exciting. This is what football is supposed to be like!!
Please stay tuned here for more from azzurri16 and the other Madrid nerds here! :)
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