Two European champions, PSV (1987-88) and Borussia Dortmund (1996-97), will face off today in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 in Eindhoven. It is one of the most even ties and the PSV of Peter Bosz and ex-Barcelona player Luuk de Jong face a roll, unbeaten in the Eredivisie, where they have a 10-point advantage over Feyenoord, 2nd (the biggest advantage of always from Eindhoven at this point in the league season).
PSV is coming off a 2-0 defeat to Heracles on Friday. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, is not good in the Bundesliga, where on Saturday they were unable to beat Wolfsburg (1-1), and is 4th, 17 points behind the leader, Bayer Leverkusen Alonzo of Xabi.
PSV-Borussia Dortmund
Phillips Stadium, 9:00 pm (MLC 2)
P.S.V.: Walter Benitez; Teze, Boscagli, Ramalho, Dest; Saibari, Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, Luuk de Jong and H. Lozano
coaches: Peter Bosz
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Emre Can, Sabitzer; Brandt, Reus, Sancho; Füllkrug
coaches: Edin Terzic
Referee: Srdjan Jovanovic (Serbia)
Luuk de Jong and Hirving Lozano form excellent offensive threats for Borussia Dortmund. They are the two main offensive arguments of the Eindhoven team. Luuk de Jong, former Sevilla and Barcelona striker, has 19 goals in the Eredivisie (Lozano, 5) and 2 in the Champions League. PSV reached this round of 16 (for the first time in 8 years, in 2015-16) as 2nd in group B, after Arsenal. Bosz, who has recovered from Johan Bakayoko, said “we must be brave” against Terzic’s team.
Borussia Dortmund is 9 games unbeaten in the Bundesliga, but out of the title race, 17 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen and 8 behind its arch-rivals, a Bayern currently mired in a crisis.
Edin Terzic’s team will try to present the best image at home to PSV, the current Champions League group, where it finished first in group F, the so-called ‘death group’, ahead of PSG, Milan and from Newcastle. Sébastien Haller, recent African champion with Ivory Coast, is absent through injury.
Terzic assured that “we are not here to celebrate this round of 16, we want to be in the quarterfinals” and PSV “gave many goals in the league, we have to take advantage of it”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
