Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven Preview 

After a 0-0 draw at Empoli on Saturday to continue their undefeated start to the Serie A season, Juventus will be keen to put on a show on their return to the European stage.

Match Details

• Date: Tuesday, 17 September, 2024
• Location: Turin, Italy
• Venue: Allianz Stadium
• Kick-off time: 17:45 BST, 18:45 UTC
• Tickets: Available through Juventus club website or via trusted resellers online.

Recent Form

Juventus return to Europe after being expelled from all three European competitions by UEFA last season European hiatus, due to violations of financial fair play rules. Juventus used this imposed hiatus to focus on the domestic season, finishing third in Serie A and winning a record fifteenth Coppa Italia.

Thiago Motta took the reins this season, and after a slow pre-season, the club have started well in Serie A, undefeated after four games. The side are yet to concede a goal in the league yet, but two boring 0-0 draws against Roma and Empoli have led to questions over Juventus’ attacking prowess, particularly striker Dusan Vlahovic.

PSV Eindhoven entered the new season with expectations heightened, having lifted the Eredivisie title in their most dominant campaign of all time. PSV racked up an incredible 29 wins out of 34 games last season, scoring a phenomenal 111 goals along the way.

So far this season, PSV failed to claim the Dutch Super Cup, losing on penalties to Feyenoord after a 4-4 draw in regular time, Peter Bosz’s squad have since won all four of their Eredivisie games, still with a 100% record as they aim for their 26th Dutch league title.

Head to Head

Amazingly, for two sides who have been perennial contenders over the years in the Champions League, this match on Tuesday will be Juventus’ first ever match against PSV Eindhoven. 

The last time Juventus faced a Dutch side in the Champions League was in the 2018/19 quarter-finals against Ajax. A 2-1 loss at home for Juventus saw Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate. It was only their second loss against a Dutch side in the Champions League, having won six, drawn three and lost two.

By comparison, PSV Eindhoven have never won in six away games against Italian sides in the Champions League. PSV have only registered two goals across these matches, drawing two and losing four.

Team News

Juve handed Teun Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez, Douglas Luiz and Pierre Kalulu their first starts for the club against Empoli on Saturday, while Timothy Weah and Khéphren Thuram made their comebacks from injury off the bench. 

Francisco Conceição is still not fully fit after a calf injury and may not be ready for the clash with PSV. Thiago Motta rotated the side against Empoli as Mattia Perin got a shot in goals, and recent youth stars Nicolo Savona and Samuel Mbangula lost their starting places.

PSV received a boost with the return of main striker Luke de Jong from injury against NEC Nijmegen, with De Jong grabbing the first goal of the game from the penalty spot. Ismael Saibari made his first appearance of the season on Saturday so could potentially work his way into the starting line-up.

Former Napoli winger Hirving Lozano has been out since a friendly against Genk earlier in the month and is likely to miss the trip to Turin, along with Noa Lang, Rick Karsdorp, Sergino Dest and Armando Obispo who are all sidelined at the moment.

Players To Watch

Juventus - Dusan Vlahovic

After a brace against Hellas Verona in the second round of the season, Vlahovic has struggled to recapture last season’s form since. In the games against Roma and Empoli, Vlahovic has found himself isolated, whilst squandering multiple opportunities that came his way in front of goal. 

Juventus legend Marco Tardelli got stuck in to Vlahovic during his post-game appearance on Domenica Sportiva, calling him “a problem”. Tardelli also remarked “He is never decisive when needed,”.

According to Il Bianconero, Motta has been tasked with getting the most out of Vlahovic, with key players highlighted that could help him find the back of the net more often. This comes after Motta’s pre-season comments on Vlahovic to La Gazzetta Della Sport, claiming that he and Kenan Yildiz were the only indispensable forwards at the club. 

With Kenan Yildiz already playing just behind him, Douglas Luiz expected to start games soon, the crossing power of Francisco Conceição and Nico Gonzalez’s assisting prowess, can Vlahovic find his shooting boots again?

PSV Eindhoven - Guus Til 

Midfielder Til started the season as a substitute, making an impact off the bench in each of the early games. An injury to forward talisman Luuk De Jong saw Til thrust into the starting line-up where he has hit a rich vein of form. 

Known for his drive and ability to heap pressure on the opposition, Tim has scored in the Rood-witten's last three matches. 

The return of De Jong puts a question mark on whether Til will keep his starting place, but with the form he is in at the moment, he has made a strong case. Juventus must not underestimate Til’s ability, either as a starter or off the bench, or run the risk of incurring his wrath on Tuesday.

Expected Line-Ups

Juventus possible starting lineup:

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Bremer, Cabal; Locatelli, Luiz; Cambiaso, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic

PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:

Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Dams; Til, Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, De Jong, Tillman

Prediction

PSV come into the tie with an attacking line firing on all cylinders, having scored an eyebrow raising 22 goals across the first five competitive matches. That said, their league games so far have been against the likes of RKC Waalwijk, Heracles, Almere, and Go Ahead Eagles, so the clash with Juventus will represent PSV’s toughest test of the season so far. 

They come up against a Juventus defence  who were the only team in Serie A with a clean sheet after the opening four games, having limited all opponents so far to just one shot on target. Despite Juve’s attacking frailties in the last few games, and Vlahovic’s struggle for consistency, Juventus’ record at home and PSV’s poor form away to Italian clubs in Europe tell me there will only be one outcome.

Old Juve predicts a 2-0 Juventus win.