PSV will miss banned De Jong against Spain’s Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven will miss striker Luuk de Jong when they entertain Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 today.
Philip Cocu’s side won all their home games in the group stage but must take on 2014 runners-up Atletico without the suspended De Jong who has scored 17 goals this season to help lift PSV to the top of the Dutch championship.
Cocu, though, will be encouraged by the return of influential Mexican midfielder Andres Guardado following a hamstring injury.
PSV have kept clean sheets in their last three domestic league games to edge one point ahead of second-placed Ajax Amsterdam.
“I thought we were defensively a lot stronger,” Cocu told reporters after Saturday’s 2-0 home win over Heracles Almelo.
“The last line and the midfield worked well together and the players put in a lot of work.
“On Wednesday (today) we’ll need to bring the same work and intensity. We gave Heracles too much space in the second half and made the field too big.
“We can’t do that now because Atletico are deadly on the counter attack,” said Cocu.
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