PSV Eindhoven will host Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. In their first Champions League knockout match in eight years, PSV will take on teams that made it out of this season’s “Group of Death.”
Preview (PSV Eindhoven vs. Borussia Dortmund)
After losing three straight times in qualifying before, PSV made a successful comeback earlier this season. They came in second to Arsenal in a contested Group B. The team’s 15-game drought without a win in the Champions League group stage came to an end. They have now won six of their previous eight European games at Eindhoven. They have also held Sevilla and Arsenal to home draws to maintain their remarkable unbeaten streak at Philips Stadion. PSV, who are now participating in their fifth knockout round and only their second in 17 seasons. They are attempting to make it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2007.
Fired by captain Luuk de Jong, who has scored 27 goals in 34 games, Peter Bosz is in charge of a team that has won at least 20 of its 22 league games this season and has not lost. They moved up to the top of the table by 13 points following their 2-0 victory over Heracles on Friday. The Dutch powerhouses are undoubtedly formidable under former Dortmund manager Bosz. They will now take on BVB for the first time since the group stage of the 2002–03 Champions League.
Although Borussia Dortmund’s domestic season has not gone quite as well as PSV’s, they did emerge victorious from a fiercely contested Group F before Christmas, surpassing Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United. Dortmund, in contrast to its hosts on Tuesday. They have made it to the round of 16 every year for the past ten years. They have made it this far in the Champions League five of the last six seasons. Three of the previous four ended in elimination.
Team News
Richard Ledezma, Jaden De Guzman, and CJ Egan-Riley have been added to Peter Bosz’s Champions League roster since the group stage. On Tuesday night, PSV will line up in their typical hybrid 4-3-3 shape, led by free-scoring captain Luuk de Jong. This season he has completed the most dribbles and created the most chances of any PSV player. Despite having recently recovered from a shoulder injury, Armel Bella-Kotchap, a Southampton loanee, is not yet healthy enough to start for the first time since October. Due to Guus Til’s ineligibility, Joey Veerman and Danny Schouten should continue playing in midfield together.
Ian Maatsen went through PSV’s development system before joining Chelsea. Englishmen Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Dondon Sancho were added to Dortmund’s roster, bolstering it further. The three should all appear in Eindhoven at some point, although Felix Nmecha (hip), Karim Adeyemi (muscular), and Randy Bensebaini (illness) are not available. Since Ivorian striker Sebastian Haller injured his ankle during the recent Africa Cup of Nations final victory, Niclas Fullkrug will undoubtedly start up front. Even though Donyell Malen (who scored 55 goals in 116 appearances for PSV) is expected to start in support alongside Sancho, Julian Brandt, and Marco Reus, he is still in the running.
PSV Eindhoven 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
For more football previews, click here
