Atlético Madrid fended off a late PSV rally to come away from the Netherlands with a vital 3-2 victory in the Champions League.
They had to do it from a goal down, as poor defending in a high line saw the Dutch champions take the lead after 10 minutes. A Julián Alvarez equaliser before half time was followed by goals from Dávid Hancko and Alexander Sørloth after the break to give Atleti a commanding lead.
A late fight back from the hosts made sure of a nervy ending for Diego Simeone’s men, but Los Rojiblancos should be pleased with coming away with a win against a team who beat Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield in the previous matchday.
The result momentarily puts Atleti inside the top eight of this season’s league phase, with just two matches remaining.
Here are Into the Calderón’s player ratings for this one.
Jan Oblak: Perhaps a touch indecisive in coming out of his goal which left it empty for Til to finish in. Had a couple more moments which had Atleti hearts in mouths. 4
Nahuel Molina: Bafflingly preferred to claim a non-existent offside than chase after his man properly during the calamitous scenes of PSV’s opening goal. Proceeded to offer up a dreadful rest of the first half which included a comical mis-control when alone in the box from a gorgeous Koke cross. Out of absolutely nowhere, Molina decided to unleash a quality strike from 25 metres that the keeper could only parry into the path of Hancko, who put Atleti in front. Doesn’t look comfortable in the higher defensive line that was on display tonight. 3
Marc Pubill: Formed part of the defence which for 30 minutes looked about as open as a garden gate with a broken lock in a storm. However, Pubill was impressive in the way he seemed to make tackles without ever going to ground. You know the old cliché. He did let Ricardo Pepi get the better of him twice in the space of a few minutes, the second time coming from a corner which saw the American poke in from close range. Good to see him gaining confidence and a physical presence in the team. A long-term Josema replacement? 6
Dávid Hancko: You beauty. Popping up with striker’s instinct to score against an old Dutch rival of his, at a crucial moment of the match. His contributions going forward are just what you want from a defender. His performance at the back was suspect at times, however. 5
Matteo Ruggeri: Was the last defender to make it back for the opposition’s opener, but probably wasn’t at fault. He always feels on the edge of a mistake, and his slight nudge on Pepi towards the end evaded a certain equaliser, but was on the cusp of being given as a penalty should it have been a touch harder. I thought the Italian actually had a decent game, to be fair. 6
Giuliano Simeone: An excellent robbery of the PSV defender to allow Sørloth to set up Alvarez. Throwing his body on the line game after game. Nice to see him back to what seems to be full fitness, and his work helping out Molina at the back really minimised the Dutch threat down our right side in the second half. Forever a peleón. 6
Koke: Tak, tak, tak, tak, tak. That’s the sound of the human metronome that is the Atleti captain. His curling ball for Molina to stuff up in the first half was a touch of quality, and his leadership skills really shone throughout the night. He kept a lid on things when heads started to wobble after going a goal down, but was firm himself when confronting referee Michael Oliver over some typically-controversial decisions. Even with a two-goal lead, I was concerned when he went off after 76 minutes, which says a lot about how important he is to this team’s structural integrity. 7
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS – DECEMBER 9: Koke of Atletico de Madrid is challenged by Guus Til of PSV during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between PSV Eindhoven and Atletico de Madrid at PSV Stadion on December 9, 2025 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images) Getty Images
Pablo Barrios: “Just chill out, man. Take a touch, get your head up.” I find myself saying this quite a bit when Barrios gets on the ball recently. He must have heard my cries, as when he ran onto Alvarez’s dream ball over the top, he took a sufficient number of touches and delivered a suitably delicate ball with his weak foot for Sørloth to nod in for 3-1. The more time he has on the ball, the more he’s able to do. 5
Nico Gonzalez: Displayed some nice moments on the ball, but his performance was summed up well by the Argentine commentators on ESPN Deportes as he was subbed off the pitch. One mentioned how hard he worked for the team whilst the other commented on “one too many errors for my liking.” His role in the team is clear, which is one thing that can only be said for a couple of players in the midfield and front line. However, it’s apparent that Nico is going through a tough few matches where his contributions have dried up. 4
Julián Álvarez: Ended his away goal drought which had been running since August 17 on the opening day of the LALIGA season. La araña now has four goals in this season’s league phase, taking him level with Saúl Ñíguez as Atlético’s second-highest Champions League goalscorer in their history. Sid Lowe and Phil Kitromilides of The Spanish Football Podcast this week mentioned how there might be a caso Julián, which is the Spanish way of saying there’s a case to be made against a player for a drop in form. He must be a Patreon subscriber like me and taken those comments personally; Julián was unplayable tonight. He had a much calmer demeanor about him, something missing from his recent matches. 8
Alexander Sørloth: Despite a golden chance squandered with his head and a comical slip when lining up a shot, it felt like Sørloth was playing well in the first half. He was quick to react to set up Alvarez for the equaliser and had an excellently-taken shot fantastically saved by the PSV goalkeeper, and finally got his rewards in the second period. A simple header back across goal, set up by Barrios, finally gave the Norwegian his first Champions League goal as a rojiblanco. 7
Conor Gallagher: Was given a brief run on the left which saw him cut inside and curl a decent chance into the arms of the goalkeeper. Was then brought into the center of midfield to cover Koke and did a fine job. Sometimes it’s hard to notice what the Brit does in his brief cameos. 5
Thiago Almada: Not given the chance to really get a hold on the game like he can do, given the frantic nature of the last 15 minutes. Is so silky on the ball, and someone you can watched relaxed, even when he’s dribbling out of trouble on the edge of his own box away at the Dutch champions with a one-goal lead. 5
Antoine Griezmann: I think someone might have got his hands on a bit of Dutch puff before coming on the pitch. Looked a bit too casual for my liking and didn’t really have much of a say in things, apart from one nice move which ended in delivering a cross to an area where no Atleti player had decided to occupy. Hair looks good, though. 4
Robin Le Normand: Came on to halt the wave of PSV attacks toward the end. Was his first appearance since going off injured in the Champions League on November 5 against Union Saint-Gilloise. Please stay fit, Robin. n/a
