- Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
- Venue: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven
- Fixture: PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus
Preview
PSV Eindhoven faces Juventus at the Philips Stadion in a crucial second-leg encounter of the Champions League knockout play-off, trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Turin. The Dutch side aims to leverage their home advantage to overturn the deficit and advance to the round of 16. Juventus, however, will be determined to protect their lead and secure their progression in the competition.
PSV’s history against Italian clubs includes 9 wins, 6 draws, and 13 losses. At home, they have a record of 7 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses against Italian sides. They need to improve on their recent form in two-legged European ties, having lost the last five in which they lost the first leg away. Their last victory after losing the first leg away was a long time ago.
Juventus secured a 2-1 victory in the first leg in Turin, with goals from Weston McKennie and Samuel Mbangula. Historically, Juventus have a strong record against Dutch clubs, although they did suffer a defeat to Ajax in the 2018/19 Champions League quarter-finals. Prior to that loss, Juve had a seven-match unbeaten run against Eredivisie clubs. The first leg win against PSV was Juve’s first game against a Dutch club since that loss to Ajax.
This match is part of the new Champions League format, which includes a knockout phase play-off round for teams finishing between 9th and 24th in the league phase. The top eight teams from the league phase automatically qualify for the round of 16. This added round has introduced high-stakes, two-legged ties before the traditional round of 16.
Key Players
PSV Eindhoven:
- Luuk de Jong: The experienced striker will be crucial in leading the line and providing a focal point for PSV’s attacks.
- Johan Bakayoko: The young winger’s pace and creativity could be key to unlocking the Juventus defense.
Juventus:
- Teun Koopmeiners: Could line up in a deeper midfield role and will be key to Juve’s chances of successfully defending their first-leg lead.
- Weston McKennie: McKennie scored in the first leg and his energy and goal-scoring ability from midfield will be important for Juventus.
Prediction
The match is expected to be closely contested. PSV will be pushing hard to get the win they need, but Juventus’ experience in these kinds of situations might be what makes the difference. A 1-1 draw is our prediction, which means Juventus would advance4.
