Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Thursday’s football game at Aspmyra Stadion pits together Bodo and PSV, the two teams with different ambitions for the last group game. Bodo are eyeing a spot in the Conference League knockout stages, while PSV are determined to secure their place in the Europa League last 16. The Norwegian champions are on a three-game losing run in Group A, which is probably the main reason why home triumph should not be considered. Fet and Vetti, who missed the 3-2 loss to Rosenborg, remain in the recovery room, but there are no fresh injury worries in the home team.
PSV, on the other hand, produced a fine display in a 2-0 win over Arsenal, and seeing that they faced no difficulties in a 3-0 victory over NEC at the weekend, we predict that the Dutch outfit will emerge triumphant in Thursday’s showdown. Noni Madueke, who scored as a substitute in the last league match, is pushing for a start, while all Boscagli, Saibari, and Vertessen should miss out with injuries.
Highlighted Player (Anwar el Ghazi):
Anwar El Ghazi is a product of famous Ajax football academy and it has to be noted that he scored 20 goals in 70 matches for the first team from 2014 to 2017. El Ghazi played for the likes of BVV Barendrecht, Feyenoord, Spartaan ’20 and Sparta Rotterdam during his youth career as well and, speaking of the first-team football, he moved to Ligue 1 side Lille in January 2017 for a fee of €8 million.
The pacey winger scored one goal in 12 appearances for les Dogues in the 2016/2017 Ligue 1 campaign, but, no doubt, there is a bright future ahead of the former Ajax starlet. Seeing that he has a dual citizenship, Anwar El Ghazi is eligible to represent both Netherlands and Morocco at senior level, but he made his debut for the Orange in a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan, with the Lille winger starting the match in a 4-3-3 formation alongside Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Memphis Depay.
Anwar El Ghazi is capable of playing as a centre-forward as well and his preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (PSV):
Based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, PSV is a professional football club competing the top flight of the Dutch football, Eredivisie. PSV play their home games at the Phillips Stadium which can accommodate 35,000 people. Over the course of its 100-year-old history, PSV has become one of the country’s Big Three clubs that has dominated Eredivisie along with Ajax and Feyenoord.
Known as a stepping stone for future world-class stars, PSV propelled the likes of Ruud Gullit, Ronald Koeman, Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy and most recently Arjen Robben. The Boeren (Peasants) as they call themselves take pride in Eindhoven’s status of being a provincial city and never hide their Brabantian heritage which allow them to enjoy their uniqueness in the company of more prominent clubs from Dutch big cities.
The Peasants boast 23 domestic league titles and 9 KNVB Cup trophies. They have also managed two major European titles – European Cup in 1987-88 and UEFA Cup in 1977-78.