Atletico Madrid Experience Should Prove Decisive Against PSV in Champions League

Atletico Madrid should expect to progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after being paired with PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 in Monday's draw. The Dutch side has done well to reach this point of the competition, but Atletico's superior squad and experience in this competition should prove decisive.

The first leg is scheduled for Feb. 24 at PSV's Philips Stadion, with the return leg set for March 15 at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. PSV qualified for the last 16 by finishing second in Group B behind Wolfsburg. Phillip Cocu's men beat Manchester United at home and drew at Old Trafford, and those results were critical. After losing at CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg, PSV finished just two points ahead of United.

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In previous years, that would have been quite the accomplishment. But United are not as powerful as they once were, and they have struggled at times to find their form under manager Louis van Gaal.

Still, PSV will not be pushovers. The defending Eredivisie champions won all three home games in the group stage and will play the first leg in the round of 16 at the Philips Stadion. However, the departures of Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum in the summer weakened Cocu's squad considerably.

At ESPN FC, Miguel Delaney argued that qualifying for the last 16 was a coup for PSV:

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Given the departures of key players like Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum, combined with injuries to key players, PSV's passage to this stage is arguably more stunning than Gent's. The Dutch club, who beat Manchester United at home and drew at Old Trafford in the group stage, have done supremely to get this far, greatly defying the odds.

The problem here is that they're up against a side who have been there and mastered defying the odds, both in Spain and in the Champions League. Atletico, runners-up to Real Madrid in the 2014 final, should just have too much.

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It's tough to argue with anything in that assessment. Atletico's run to the final in 2014 gave the squad loads of valuable experience. Some players have left since then, but others remain, including Tiago, Gabi, Koke, Juanfran, Diego Godin and Filipe Luis (who's back after a brief spell with Chelsea).

All of those players started the final, meaning several contributors to Atletico's squad have experience on the biggest of stages. PSV simply can't compare on that front.

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Since then, however, Atletico have added key pieces to offset several departures, most notably French forward Antoine Griezmann. On Sunday, the 24-year-old scored a spectacular second-half winner as Atletico beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. The goal was Griezmann's 12th of the season, eighth in La Liga, and it underlined his status as one of Europe's most in-demand attacking talents.

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The result took Atletico level on points with Barcelona atop La Liga and continued a fine run of form of eight straight wins in all competitions. Manager Diego Simeone has his team playing excellent football, with Atletico currently unbeaten in any competition since Sept. 30. Simeone's reputation as one of Europe's top managers is deserved, and he'll no doubt have Atletico fully prepared for PSV.

"Atletico are a top team with fantastic players," PSV defender Jeffrey Bruma told UEFA.com after the draw. "Realistically Atletico are the better team in theory, but we are certainly not without a chance. The draw could have been worse, so we have to look on the bright side."

Bruma is right. Atletico are the better team, and their experience and superior talent should be more than enough to see off PSV in the round of 16.