Diego Pablo Simeone faced the media on Monday evening as his Atlético side prepare to take on PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion in their opening Champions League match. It is important to note that they are at home for this game and I think that the home crowd will be epic but they can only do so much. Nobody can say that, if we win tomorrow, we go through. It’s a lovely pitch, a fantastic atmosphere – a good place to start. “Thinking any further than that would be presumptious at this stage”.
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The Argentine coach predicted that Tuesday’s game would be more open than the two tense meetings last season, given both teams wish to get the three points on offer in their Group D opener.
PSV was once a great team in Europe but at the moment they are not the team they once were.
“A win was needed to get off the ground and build confidence”, Simeone said.
PSV captain Luuk de Jong, who missed out on last year’s draw, will be present on the pitch for this Tuesday’s matchup and could be the difference maker that the Dutch champs missed so badly. In Vigo, in the second half [of the 4-0 win against Celta], the team freed themselves.
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Atletico drew their first two La Liga games of the season against newly promoted Alaves and Leganes, but showed better form when winning 4-0 at Celta Vigo last Saturday, with all four goals coming after half-time.
