Atletico de Madrid 2 - 0 PSV Eindhoven: Five out of five for Atletico Madrid as PSV Eindhoven suffer in Spain

Posted Thursday, November 24, 2016 by PA

Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann scored the goals as Atletico Madrid locked down top spot in Champions League Group D with victory over PSV Eindhoven.

Last season's runners-up made it five wins from five and are already guaranteed to progress as group winners before taking on Bayern Munich in the final round of matches.

Gameiro broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a precise low drive and Griezmann netted for the third time in the competition 11 minutes later to seal the points.

PSV boss Phillip Cocu sprung a surprise by dropping captain and lead striker Luuk de Jong to the bench, while Rojiblancos coach Diego Simeone restored Tiago in a midfield holding role alongside Gabi.

If that seemed overly cautious it was perhaps a result of successive defeats in LaLiga, with five goals conceded and none scored.

The hosts could have opened the scoring inside seven minutes after Yannick Carrasco laid on a wonderful ball for Gameiro, but the striker made a mess of his connection at close range and missed the target.

Atletico upped the pressure quickly, Griezmann sending a warning shot just wide and Diego Godin heading straight at Jeroen Zoet when he should have done better.

Carrasco's surging run and shot raised the tempo again but gave PSV the chance to counter, Gaston Pereiro only denied by the backtracking Griezmann.

The game had evened out by half-time, Cocu's men having established themselves as an attacking presence and Gameiro again missing out when Jetro Willems made a crucial tackle.

Willems had been excellent in keeping PSV in the game but he did not emerge for the second half having sustained a blow to the head.

That was the invitation Atletico needed and, after just failing to get a decisive touch on Jose Maria Gimenez's header across goal, Gameiro made the breakthrough.

The Frenchman finally found a finish when Griezmann found him at the edge of the area, slotting crisply across Zoet and low into the net.

On 66 minutes Griezmann doubled the lead and killed the tie, played in by Tiago's smart pass before converting at the near post.

Gameiro came close to a second when his deflected header scraped the top of the crossbar but the job was already complete, with the forthcoming trip to Munich reduced to little more than an exhibition.