Saul scores only goal as Atletico Madrid beats PSV 1-0

PSV’s Luuk de Jong, center, scores a goal that was disallowed, past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, back, and Atletico’s Saul Niguez, front, during the Group D Champions League soccer match between PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Tuesday Sept. 13, 2016.

PSV and Atletico also met previous year in the competition (last time, it was in the last 16), and both legs went the full distance, ending goalless.

Saul Niguez scored late in the first half Tuesday as last season’s losing Champions League finalist Atletico Madrid opened this season’s campaign with a tense 1-0 win at PSV Eindhoven. It’s a attractive pitch, a fantastic atmosphere – a good place to start. “Thinking about anything more would not be humble”, Simeone told reporters. “Six months ago, what mattered was goals, tomorrow it will be points”.

It can not be overlooked, however, that Atleti seemed to return to form with a 0-4 thrashing of Celta Vigo last weekend and they have been Champions League runners-up in two of the last three seasons. The Dutch side has talent but they are a different level to their opposition and it will be tough for them to match them per player. In Vigo, in the second half [of the 4-0 win against Celta], the team freed themselves.

But Simeone knocked back a question about whether he had needed to speak with the France global about chances missed in his appearances so far for Atletico.

“Nobody can say that, if we win tomorrow, we go through. If we did that this would be a club for friends and it is not”, he said.

Dermot Corrigan is a Madrid-based football writer who covers La Liga and the Spain national team for ESPN FC.