Atlético aiming for home revival
Without a victory in their last four home games in Europe, Club Atlético de Madrid will meet Sporting Clube de Portugal for the first time when the teams commence their round of 16 tie.

Club Atlético de Madrid will look to make up for their poor recent record against Portuguese sides when they welcome Sporting Clube de Portugal to the Spanish capital for the teams' round of 16 first-leg meeting.

Previous meetings
• This will be the first time the two clubs have met.

• Atlético have faced Portuguese opposition eight times in UEFA club competition, with their record reading W2 D2 L4 (W2 D1 L1 at home).

• Atlético lost 2-0 away and 3-0 at home against FC Porto in this season's UEFA Champions League group stage. They also met the Dragons in the first knockout round of the same competition last season, exiting on away goals.

• Sporting have contested 16 UEFA club competition matches with Spanish sides, and their record reads W5 D3 L8 (W0 D2 L6 in Spain).

• Sporting have yet to win in Spain, while their two previous trips to the capital to take on Real Madrid CF both ended in defeat: 1-0 in 1994 and 4-0 in 2000.

Match background
• Atlético are without a win in four European home games, recording three draws and the 3-0 loss to Porto since beating Panathinaikos FC 2-0 in this season's UEFA Champions League play-off round. However, they are unbeaten in 14 UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League home outings (11 wins and three draws) since losing 3-1 to Parma FC in the 1998/99 semi-finals.

• Sporting have lost their last two UEFA Europa League away fixtures but kicked off the season with a pair of draws on their travels in UEFA Champions League qualifying and clinched wins in their first two UEFA Europa League group-stage fixtures outside Portugal.

Team facts
• Atlético's Portugal winger Simão started his career at Sporting, rising through the club's youth ranks before leaving for FC Barcelona in 1999. He later enjoyed a successful spell as captain of Sporting's local rivals SL Benfica (2001-07), playing in every game as they won the 2004/05 title – their first in 11 years.

• Having joined Atlético in 2007, Simão scored the 4,000th Liga goal in the club's history on 12 April 2009 in a game against RC Deportivo La Coruña.

• Atlético coach Quique Sánchez Flores and winger José Antonio Reyes both spent the 2008/09 season in Portugal at Benfica.

• Sporting's Marco Caneira played in Spain with Valencia CF (2004-06 and 2007-08), where he was coached for a while by Quique Flores, who led the club between 2005 and 2007.

• Sporting's Chilean midfielder Matías Fernández and Atlético's Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán played together at Villarreal CF in the 2006/07 season.

• Atlético's Brazilian midfielder Paulo Assunção played for CD Nacional (2002-04) and Porto (2005-08) prior to joining his current club.

• Atlético's next goal will be their 350th in UEFA club competition. The first leg with Sporting will be their 206th European game.

• French striker Florent Sinama Pongolle represented Atlético in their autumn campaign before joining Sporting during the winter transfer window. He is not eligible to play for the Lisbon outfit in Europe this season but may have some useful inside information to share with his new coach, Carlos Carvalhal.

• The tie concludes at the Estádio José Alvalade on 18 March. The draw for the quarter-finals will be staged the following day.

From: Uefa.com

Europa League Preview: Atletico Madrid - Sporting Lisbon
The hosts will be looking to continue their great form in Cup competitions this season...

Kick Off: Thursday, March 11, 2010. 19:05 CET.
Vicente Calderon, Madrid, Spain.

Atleti, The Cup Team

Atletico Madrid have been woeful in La Liga this season but as far as cup competitions are concerned, they couldn't have done better. Los Colchoneros are through to the final of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2000 and will lock horns with Sevilla, while they have taken the Europa League by storm.

Atleti were dumped out of the Champions League at the end of the group stage but Quique Sanchez Flores' side knocked out Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray in the Round of 32. Atletico have been terrifyingly graceful in the Cup games in Spain this campaign and they will be looking to sustain their momentum in the Europa League too.

However, last season Atletico Madrid were knocked out of the Champins League knockout stage by another Portuguese side in FC Porto. They drew 2-2 at home in the first leg and failed to score away, so coach Quique Sanchez Flores will be wary of conceding in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie with Sporting Lisbon on Thursday evening. The former Valencia coach knows a thing or two about Sporting, having been in charge of their bitter rivals Benfica before taking up the coaching post at the Calderon.

Season Back On Track

Sporting Lisbon started the season slowly but have now begun to pick up the pace. They are currently fourth in the Portuguese Liga with 35 points from 22 matches, but are quite some distance from a Champions League place.

However, the Leoes have been hugely convincing in their last three matches in all competitions, having defeated Everton, Porto and Belenenses 3-0, 3-0 and 4-0 respectively. Against Belenenses, Sporting couldn't score in the first half but netted the ball four times in the second 45 minutes.

Sporting qualified for the last 16 stage of the Europa League after defeating Premier League side Everton 3-0 at home in the second leg of their Round of 32 tie. The Portuguese giants had lost the first leg 2-1 at Goodison Park.

FORM GUIDE

Atletico Madrid

March 7 v Real Zaragoza (A) - DREW 1-1 (La Liga)

February 28 v Valencia (H) - WON 4-1 (La Liga)

February 25 v Galatasaray (A) - WON 2-1 (Europa League)

February 21 v Almeria (A) - LOST 1-0 (La Liga)

February 18 v Galatasaray (H) - DREW 1-1 (La Liga)

Sporting Lisbon

March 7 v Belenenses (A) - WON 4-0 (Portuguese Liga)

February 28 v FC Porto (H) - WON 3-0 (Portuguese Liga)

February 25 v Everon (H) - WON 3-0 (Europa League)

February 20 v Olhanense (A) - DREW 0-0 (Portuguese Liga)

February 16 v Everton (A) - LOST 2-1 (Europa League)

TEAM NEWS

Atletico Madrid

Coach Quique Sanchez Flores will have a full-strength side to choose from and it is likely that he will go with the same side that played against Real Zaragoza on Sunday. Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero will be the two strikers and will be supported by wide midfielders Jose Antonio Reyes and Simao Sabrosa.

Probable Line-up (4-4-2): De Gea, Valera, Perea, Ujfalusi, Soto; Reyes, Tiago, Assuncao, Simao; Forlan Aguero

Sporting Lisbon

Coach Carlos Carvalhal will have virtually a full strength side to choose from. Striker Florent Sinama Pongolle is cup-tied having featured for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in the group stages while Daniel Carrico and Yannick Djalo are injured.

Probable Line-up (4-4-2): Patricio, Abel, Polga,Tonel, Grimi; Veloso, Moutinho, Izmallov, Mendes; Liedson, Yannick

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid)

The Uruguayan international striker didn't have the best of starts this campaign but he has now started to score goals. Forlan currently has 12 goals to his tally in La Liga and is looking threatening again. With Reyes to support him from the midfield, Forlan will be a key player up front for Atleti on Thursday evening.

Liedson (Sporting Lisbon)

The 32-year-old scored all four goals against Belenenses in Sporting's last league game and is currently on red-hot form. Atletico Madrid midfielder Paulo Assuncao himself has admitted that Liedson is the key man for Sporting and given Atleti's less than impressive backline, it won't be a surprise if Leidson scores on Thursday evening.

PREDICTION

Atletico Madrid are an unpredictable side and any result is possible at the Calderon. They have a leaky defence and this could allow Sporting to come out at them and score a goal, which they will probably do. But if Atleti's midfield and attack find their rhythm, then they should be able to win the game in the end.

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Sporting Lisbon

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Atletico Madrid Coach Quique Sanchez Flores: Europa League Tie Will Be Settled In Lisbon
Atleti coach believes tie will go the distance…

Atletico Madrid coach Quique Sanchez Flores has insisted his side’s Europa League clash with Sporting CP will not be settled at the Vicente Calderon on Thursday.

“We must make the difference in the first match in Madrid but I think the tie will be decided in Lisbon,” he told a press conference.

Sporting have struggled in Liga Sagres so far this season but Flores warned his players that Verde e Brancos are a much improved side of late.

“Sporting didn't have a great start to the season, but they are much better now and have played well in their last three games."

Atletico, who have once again been plagued by inconsistency this season, come into the match off the back of a draw at lowly Zaragoza and the coach concluded by saying he believes his side can still take it up a notch.

“The team has already reached a good level this season but it's true that there are players that we expect more from. When they reach that level, we will be a more complete team."

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Atletico Madrid Going All Out To Win Europa League Tie Against Sporting CP - Paulo Assuncao
Brazilian ready for Europa League clash…

Atletico Madrid midfielder Paulo Assuncao has insisted his side are taking their Europa League campaign very seriously and are desperate to beat Sporting CP and progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.

"We're going to do our work and we will go all out to win,” he told a press conference.

Atletico will host Sporting in the first leg at the Vicente Calderon this Thursday and the Brazilian went on to admit he was well aware of the Portuguese outfit's pedigree.

“We expect a tough match against Sporting, they are a good team with good players, he continued.

Finally, the former Porto man picked out his compatriot Liedson as the player who poses the most serious threat to los Colchoneros, warning the Atleti defence that they would have to remain on high-alert given the striker’s recent form.

“Liedson scored four goals for his team in his last game in the Portuguese league. He is a very good player who plays for the Portuguese national team and will have to be closely monitored.”

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Atletico Madrid Defender Juan Valera Hoping Sporting CP Come To Play
Atleti hoping Portuguese don’t park the bus…

Atletico Madrid defender Juan Valera hopes that Sporting CP will take a positive approach on Thursday night when they travel to the Vicente Calderon for the first-leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash.

“We don’t know whether we should press, but I hope they come to play, take some risks and leave some space behind for us to attack,” he told clubatleticodemadrid.com.

"Sporting are a great team and have quality players. They are sure to make it tough for us."

Atletico have been in good form in this season’s cup competitions, beating Galatasaray in the last round of the Europa League while also booking their ticket to the Copa del Rey final.

However, their league form has been as erratic as ever and Valera concluded by saying they will continue to fight domestically in order to finish as high as possible in La Liga.

“We have not done enough to get the points required to be higher in the league, although there are still many points to be won. We can't relax in any game of any competition, but there are plenty of league games left.”

From: Goal.com

Atlético - Sporting 2-0

NOT

I only saw the match highlights and judging by that it's been just awful?

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Player Ratings: Atletico Madrid 0-0 Sporting CP
Atletico were left Frustrated against nine-man Sporting, as the visitors held on for a draw and Goal.com was on hand to rate the players on show...

Atletico Madrid

De Gea: 6 - Didn't have much to do in goal for most of the night but was fortunate to see Liedson's volley come back off the bar.

Lopez: 6 - Wasn't overworked defensively but put in a solid display linking well with Simao in the first half down the left.

Luis Perea: N/A - Came off injured after just 13 minutes and never really got a chance to get in to the game.

Alvaro Dominguez: 6 - Like his team-mates in defence, he wasn't required to do too much. With only Liedson to look after between the two he had a comfortable night but at times gave the attacker too much space.

Tomas Ujfalusi: 6.5 - Looked a danger at set plays when attacking. An all round reassuring display at the back.

Jose Antonio Reyes: 7.5 - Had a fantastic night tormenting the Sporting defence with his pace and good link up play.

Garcia: 6 - Kept the middle ticking over with some nice passes but didn't get a hold of the game as much as he would have liked to.

Assuncao: 5.5 - Took up more of a defensive role than his midfield partner and broke up Sporting attacks well in the first half but went unnoticed in the second.

Simao: 6.5 - Was replaced mid-way through the second half for tactical reasons. Got in some very good positions drifting inside to support the strikers but didn't have his usual killer instinct in and around the penalty area.

Aguero: 7 - Showed some moments of brilliance but possibly could have got his head up more often. Got himself on the ball at every opportunity and looked the most likely to score for Atletico.

Diego Forlan: 5 - Had a quiet game by his standards and was overshadowed by his strike partner but showed some nice touches. Will be looking for much more from him in the next leg.

Substitutes

Valera: 6.5 - Came on for Perea and added another dimension down the right when attacking. Final ball could have been better but an all round decent showing.

Jurado: N/A

Sporting

Patricio: 7 - Never had to make any outstanding saves but installed confidence in his back line and was very tidy all night.

Grimi: 3 - Had an awful time trying to contain Reyes on the wing. Saw two yellows for fouls on the same player and put his team's back to the wall for the rest of the game.

Tonel: 4.5 - His performance ended on a sour note with a foolish sending off. Looked nervous at times but kept Atletico at bay.

Polga: 6 - Probably the quieter of the two centre backs, which is normally the sign of a good performance. Did however allow Aguero time to turn too often and run at the defence. Credit for concentration levels.

Abel: 6.5 - Steady performance, wasn't allowed to roam forward with only ten and then nine men but restricted Simao and then Reyes well.

Veloso: 6 - Had a torrid time when switched to left-back against Reyes, however when restored to midfield he kept the ball well which allowed his team to regroup.

Mendes: 6.5 - Had a tremendously busy night in the defensive midfield role and did a great job not allowing too much of Atletico's attacks to come through the middle.

Moutinho: 5.5 - Frustrating night for the Sporting captain. Starved of the ball for most of the game and lacked support going forward when he did.

Izmailov: 6 - Worked very hard for his team, which restricted his natural attacking role but couldn't fault his effort.

Pereirinha: 4 - Booked and substituted, some cynical fouls and never really got in to the match.

Liedson: 6.5 - Had a tough game mainly chasing the ball for the most part. Some glimpses of brilliance. His volley against the bar was the best part of the night for Sporting.

Substitutes

Pedro Silva:- 6 - Looked more at home at left back than Veloso did and helped sure up the defence.

Silva:- N/A

Saliero:- N/A

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Atletico Madrid Coach Quique Flores Insists Sporting Tie Is Open
The mattress makers coach believes his side can progress to the quarter finals...

Atletico Madrid coach Quique Flores said the tie is very much open after the first leg of their last 16 Europa League match against Sporting CP ended scoreless at the Vicente Calderon.

Los Colchoneros now need a score draw or better in Lisbon next week to book their place in the quarter finals.

"The result leaves the tie open, as if nothing had happened here. It is as it was before today's game, forcing us to play a good game in the away leg and I think we're prepared for it," Flores told a press conference.

"The game plan was the same as ever, but we have not found an opportunity to score goals. We have not had the ability to move the ball fast enough and we were unable to get the goal.

"I leave with the feeling that the tie is to there for the taking. The result invites us to play another good game as visitors and the team is prepared to do, but we just have to wait a week."

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Sporting Lisbon Coach Carlos Augusto Carvalhal Pleased With Atletico Madrid Draw
The Portuguese had two men sent off...

Sporting Lisbon coach Carlos Augusto Carvalhal was happy with the result against Atletico Madrid.

Speaking to Marca after the game, Carvalhal said, "I am happy with the result given the circumstances, that we had two people sent off."

"That did not allow us to attack, but there are still 90 minutes left in Lisbon, where we will have the support of our fans. The refereeing was unfair.

"If we had played eleven against eleven, we would surely have created chances in the second half."

The tie finished 0-0 at the Vicente Calderon.

From: Goal.com

It was awful and we can be happy, that Sporting played with ten over 60 minutes...