The Road Warriors Go to Leverkusen

A tletico Madrid, so very tough to beat on the road in the Champions League, pose a stern test for a Bayer Leverkusen side with a poor record against Spanish clubs. Atleti have lost just one of their nine away games in the competition since September 2013, winning five, and will be confident of taking a positive result home from tonight's Round of 16 first leg.
Olympiacos were the last team to score against Atletico when they enjoyed a 3-2 group stage win in Greece back in September. Since then, Madrid have scored 12 goals without reply in Europe.

They bounced back from a surprise defeat at Celta Vigo with a 3-0 success at Almeria in La Liga on Saturday--which lifted the Spanish champions to within three points of second-placed Barcelona.

Atleti forward Mario Mandzukic, who knows the Bundesliga from his stint at Bayern Munich, converted a 13th-minute penalty and twice set up Antoine Griezmann to score before Atletico eased off in the second half. Between Mandzukic and Griezmann, they have 37 goals this season. "We need to face all games the same way, trying to win and coming out flying from the start," said Griezmann after the win.

Simeone is unlikely to have Koke available after he sustained a hamstring injury in the record 4-0 victory at home to Real Madrid. The Argentine will also know that yellow cards could prove costly for captain Gabi and Diego Godín, both a booking away from suspension.
For Leverkusen it is a different story with the German club having never won a last-16 tie (the competition having a second group stage when they reached the final in 2002).They have been struggling in the Bundesliga with one win in the past six games--putting coach Roger Schmidt under pressure as the team are far from certain of playing in the Champions League next season, despite a 37m investment in players.

Bayer will have to work hard to change this European statistic against an Atletico side who finished top of Group A ahead of Juventus. Leverkusen are winless in their past three league matches and have had little to cheer about at this stage of the competition. They were thumped 4-0 at home by Paris St Germain last season on the way to a 6-1 aggregate defeat. That came two years after Lionel Messi ran riot when Bayer's 3-1 defeat in Leverkusen preceded a 7-1 humiliation away to Barcelona in 2012 when Messi netted five times.

Leverkusen are without winger Robbie Kruse, who has an ankle injury, while defensive midfielder Sven Bender and defender Tin Jedvaj are doubtful with knee and hamstring injuries respectively.

Having dropped to sixth in the Bundesliga after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Augsburg, qualifying for next season will be of more pressing concern. But Schmidt hopes the Champions League can help them rediscover form from earlier this season. "The Champions League is the best thing there is," said Schmidt. "We are really looking forward to it and it will help us."