ATLETICO DE MADRID hosted MONACO for their Group match which also have the extra news piece that ex-Atletico Falcao was back to face his old Club. Atletico de Madrid was looking for a victory in front of the home fans to secure their place without any doubt for the next phase of the competition & attempt to secure Top Group spot from Borussia Dortmund which are also contenders.
Above in the image is the starting 11 team for Atletico, with some notable names still absent like Godin, Jimenez, Juan Fran & Diego Costa, all recovering from injury. Coach Simeone brought back Lemar & Correa.
The match could not have got off to a better start when a KOKE intervention (shot) was deflected by Badiashile in the 2º min for the opening goal. Atletico de Madrid took full control of the match & the second goal came in the 24th min when GRIEZMANN finished off an excellent assist from Correa
In the 2º half Monaco pulled from pride & lifted their level of Football. The team Coached by Thierry Henry managed to get a penalty in the 81st min when Atletico defender Savic handballed in the area. FALCAO took the responsibility to execute the penalty & missed.
FINAL RESULT: ATLETICO DE MADRID 2 - MONACO 0
FC BARCELONA travelled to Holland without Suarez, Rafinha & Sergi Roberto (injury) to play PSV EINDHOVEN with Messi recovered & back in Champions; along with the rest of the highlighted 10 team-mates in the above image. Barça´s motivation tonight was to win, of course, & secure firmly the top spot of their Group.
PSV started strongly & nearly scored early had not Barça German goalie Ter Stegen not intervened to halt the Dutch advances. The 1º st half turned out to be very competitive & even as both teams created multiple goal opportunities. The posts-cross bars were the main protagonists as they kept out the ball from the goal net for both sides.
The 2º half witnessed how the quality & experience of the FC Barcelona players pulled away from the early equilibrium with PSV to sway the match to their favour. Lionel Messi lead his team with his habitual outstanding play that inspired fellow teammates (Dembele, RaKitic, Coutinho, Pique...) to lift & finally find the prize. LIONEL MESSI scored in the 60th min & PIQUE managed the second for Barça in the 70th min.
However, PSV kept showing signs of danger during the 2º half that Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen had to neutralise & avoid the Dutch from scoring. PSV were finally rewarded for their persistence in the 82nd min when DE JONG pulled a goal back. FC Barcelona lowered the pace of the match to achieve control & manage the final moments of the match preserving their favourable result & eventual victory.
PSV played well tonight & may have done better if the opportunities had been taken. Barça was great in attack but had defending difficulties that were "covered" up by the already known star names within their ranks.
FINAL RESULT: PSV 1 - FC BARCELONA 2
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