PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus

Philips Stadion sets the stage for the second leg of an exciting Champions League knockout playoff tie between PSV Eindhoven and Juventus, with the visitors leading 2-1 after the first leg.

Slow to recover from a first-leg disappointment, PSV shared the spoils with fellow Eredivisie rivals Utrecht in a goal-glutted 2-2 draw over the weekend, stretching their winless run to five matches across all competitions (D3, L1). PSV must back an ominous trend to reach the next round as they’ve suffered elimination from eight of their 11 previous Champions League ties when losing the first leg. They last overturned a first-leg deficit in 1989/90, but their recent home form suggests now could be a time for a change of scenery. Indeed, Peter Bosz’s men won three consecutive home outings in the league phase since a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP in the early stages, beating Liverpool, Girona, and Shakhtar Donetsk while netting 3+ goals on each occasion. 

Meanwhile, Juventus will take this trip in high spirits after beating Derby d’Italia rivals Inter Milan 1-0 last weekend to make it four wins in a row for the first time under Thiago Motta. Buoyed by this impressive run, ‘I Bianconeri’ head into proceedings to protect an outrageous record of progressing from the last 20 Champions League ties when winning the first leg. Failing to achieve that feat would see Juventus eliminated from a winning position for the first time since 1978/79. However, they’ll have other plans, bidding to win both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since beating Monaco in the 2016/17 semi-finals! Worryingly, the visitors have only won two of their last ten competitive games on the road (D7, L1)!