PSV 2-3 Atletico Madrid: Simeone's side solidify knockout hopes with hard-fought win
Diego Simeone was made to sweat, but Atletico Madrid just about squeezed over the line for a vital Champions League win against PSV.
Atletico Madrid added further fuel to their top-eight push in the Champions League after holding on for a 3-2 victory away to PSV.
Diego Simeone's side climbed up to seventh in the 36-team standings, thanks to an inspired second-half performance, as Tuesday's narrow defeat left PSV 19th.
PSV needed just 10 minutes to open the scoring as Ismael Saibari freed Couhaib Driouech, who put it on a plate for Guus Til to tap into an unguarded net.
The hosts should have doubled their lead soon after, but Driouech tried to play one pass too many after being released by Sergino Dest, allowing Marc Pubill to intervene.
That missed chance came back to haunt them when, having seen Pablo Barrios go close moments before, Yarek Gasiorowski made a mindless mistake in possession and allowed Julian Alvarez a simple finish.
Atleti came out firing in the second half, too, with David Hancko sending his side ahead in the 52nd minute after Matej Kovar failed to parry Matteo Ruggeri's half-volley to safety.
Simeone's side dealt another blow to home hopes just four minutes later as Barrios clipped into the box for Alexander Sorloth to score with a clinical header.
Ivan Perisic then flicked a header across the face of goal for fellow substitute Ricardo Pepi to halve the deficit with five minutes remaining, igniting hopes of a late comeback.
And Pepi went agonisingly close to setting up the leveller soon after, but his delightful cross could only be headed wide by substitute Armando Obispo as Atletico held on.
Data Debrief: Super Sorloth
Having set up Alvarez's leveller before his own finish, Sorloth both scored and assisted in the same game for the first time in major European competition.
His partner Alvarez has also been involved in six Champions League goals this season (four goals, two assists), a tally only bettered by Kylian Mbappe (nine) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (seven).
But PSV have their own star proving his worth in this competition – Driouech is only the second player in Champions League history to be involved in as many as six goals in his first 10 appearances.
His efforts are made even more impressive by the fact that he has only started two of those games, with Cristian Tello (four goals, two assists) the only previous player to achieve the feat.
And Peter Bosz may have felt his side deserved more than a narrow defeat, having seen PSV accumulate 2.61 expected goals (xG) to Atleti's 2.29.
