Our prediction for this Champions League match:
PSV
Match Time & Date:
20/02/2024
21:00
Prediction: 2-1
Borussia Dortmund
Philips Stadion will host a highly-anticipated Champions League clash between PSV and Borussia Dortmund, the two teams who meet in the elite competition for the first time since 2002. Peter Bosz’s men are on the right track to win the Eredivisie trophy and they must be high on confidence following back-to-back wins over Volendam and Heracles. Anyhow, we are positive that they will stick to their attacking style of play. Summer signing Noa Lang remains on the sidelines with a long-term injury, while pacey winger Johan Bakayoko faces race against the clock to be fit for the first leg.
Edin Terzic’s troops, on the other hand, are hit by Sebastien Haller’s injury and we predict that the Africa Cup of Nations winner will be sorely missed in Tuesday’s encounter. As PSV have turned their Philips Stadion into a real fortress, we predict that the Bundesliga outfit will return home with their hands empty. The likes of Nmecha, Duranville, and Adeyemi miss out with injuries as well.
Highlighted Player (Marco Reus):
Marco Reus is a German football player who was born on 31 May, 1989. The pacey attacking midfielder, who is capable of playing as a winger as well, started his senior career at Rot Weiss Ahlen and it has to be noted that he made 43 league appearances for the club in lower leagues.
In 2009 he signed a four-year contract with Borussia M’gladbach and he scored his first Bundesliga goal against Mainz on 28 August, 2009. After impressing with the Fohlen in the 2011/2012 Bundesliga campaign, he joined Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. He has been playing for the Millionaires ever since and he represents Germany on the international stage as well.
However, he was more than unfortunate to miss the 2014 FIFA World Cup with injury when Joachim Low’s team lifted the prestigious trophy. To make things even worse for Marco Reus, he was forced to withdraw from the Germany Euro 2016 squad as well (injury). The German ace has a contract with Borussia Dortmund which expires on 30 June, 2019.
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.
