Juventus will take on PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League, with both teams eager to secure an advantage heading into the second leg.
One thing that Juventus have taught the footballing world this season is that defensive solidity is not the blueprint for success as they get set to host PSV Eindhoven. The Bianconeri have been one of the best defensive units in the UEFA Champions League and Serie A, but their positions in both competitions paint a different story, as they show that a team also needs a potent attacking unit on the other end.
In the Champions League, they ended the league phase with an unwanted loss to Benfica at home, which ensured a 20th-place finish. This forced Juventus to take part in a two-legged playoff round. They have improved their form in the league of late, and that could serve them well into the future.
Juventus lost their unbeaten run in Serie A to Napoli and then lost to SL Benfica. However, they have since beaten Empoli and then Como at the weekend, with winter signing Randal Kolo Muani their star performer. Thiago Motta wants his team to be among the elites of the Champions League, which will make the need to get a solid advantage in the playoff’s first leg a priority for Juventus.
Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven have come under slight pressure in matters of their domestic league following a 1-1 draw with Willem II. The dropped points allow resurgent Ajax to take the top spot in the league if they win their two games in hand.
Peter Bosz will not want the domestic pressure to affect their performances in the Champions League. PSV Eindhoven is not even coming to Turin for the first time this season, as the two teams are coming together in the league phase, with Juventus triumphing with a 3-1 scoreline.
Bosz will hope that the scoreline will not be repeated, and in fact, the manager will hope to recreate PSV’s display against Liverpool on the final matchday of the league phase. The Dutch giants managed a strong 3-2 victory over the Reds, which did not prove enough to qualify for the top eight but did allow PSV to be one of the eight seeded teams for the playoffs.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Juventus have issues at the back, with Thiago Motta likely to use a different backline that suits the game. Piere Kalulu, who has missed out on games since suffering a muscle injury against Benfica, has yet to make a return, meaning the manager will likely choose a central partnership of Federico Gatti and January arrival Renato Veiga.
Similarly, he could use Lloyd Kelly in the left-back role, as the on-loan defender made his debut on the weekend as a substitute. Should Motta start the English defender in the left-back role, it could allow Nicolo Savona to play in his natural position at right-back.
The midfield and attacking setups are unlikely to see many alterations, and maybe nothing, given Motta’s side’s recent scoring spree. Randal Kolo Muani will once again lead the line for the Bianconeri following a stellar start to life in Turin, and the other positions will likely see familiar names.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Viega, Kelly; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
PSV Eindhoven
The draw against Willem II did come at a cost for Bosz, as defender Adamo Nagalo was taken off with an injury, which will keep him out of the visit to Turin. PSV Eindhoven are already without Olivier Boscagli, who has a muscular problem.
Armando Obispo is likely to start in the heart of the defence and have Ryan Flamingo as his partner, as the defender is available again after a Champions League ban. Tyrell Malacia could play in as left-back, although there are chances that Peter Bosz started him over the weekend to keep Mauro Junior fresh for this trip to Turin.
There are some other problems in the other areas of the pitch, with Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Richard Ledezma missing from action. PSV will rely on experienced striker and skipper Luuk de Jong to lead the line. The forward is still scoring at a healthy rate, managing 14 goals this season in all competitions.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Benitez; Karsdorp, Flamingo, Obispo, Junior; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Til, Perisic; de Jong
Key Stats
- Tuesday’s clash will be only the second meeting between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven in major European competition, with the only previous clash also coming this season, a 3-1 victory for Juventus at home in September 2024 in league phase..
- Juventus have won two of their last five home games in all competitions.
- PSV Eindhoven are unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions. However, the Eredivisie champions have won only one of their last five away matches.
- Juventus have lost just three of their 15 matches against Dutch oppositions in the UEFA Champions League/European Cup (W7 D5), winning seven of their last 11 (D2 L2).
- PSV Eindhoven have failed to win any of their last five UEFA Champions League matches against Italian opponents (D1 L4), which is their joint-longest current winless run against teams from a single nation (also 5 vs Portuguese sides).
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
Juventus had a plan to improve their attacking game in January, and so far, it has worked out perfectly with the addition of Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman has been in superb form right from the start, scoring five goals in his three games so far for the Bianconeri.
The attacker’s form in front of goal has ensured that the main striker, Dusan Vlahovic, continues to spend ample time on the bench. Kolo Muani will once again have a top chance to assert his claim as the team’s main striker since moving to Juventus, as he will be seen as instrumental in their chances to take advantage in the first leg against PSV.
Prediction
Juventus 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven are not in the best of form at the moment, but they are not to be underestimated, as Peter Bosz’s men are still very much capable of competing with the best of teams. In any case, they have also scored in each of their last 11 games across all competitions, and the Dutch side might extend that run in Turin, given the makeshift nature of Juventus’s defence.
As for Thiago Motta and his charges, they have momentum on their side ahead of this key fixture. Given the home advantage, the Bianconeri are expected to take an advantage over Eindhoven, albeit a slender one. Juventus have the form and quality to take a win on Tuesday, as their progression into the next round will certainly depend on their performance in the away leg.
