After missing out on European football last season due to a points deduction, Juventus are back in the Champions League.
Following a solid campaign that saw them finish 3rd in Serie A behind the two Milan clubs, Juventus, now led by Thiago Motta, have started this season strong.
Before the international break, they remained unbeaten in their first three league games, including comfortable victories over promoted Calcio Como (3-0) and a tough 3-0 win against Hellas Verona, who had just defeated Napoli.
However, Juventus were held to a goalless draw by AS Roma in their third match, and they looked to get back to winning ways against Empoli last weekend.
PSV Eindhoven, Dutch champions for the 25th time, return to the Champions League after a six-year wait.
Last season, they reached the round of 16 but were eliminated by eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund (1-3 on aggregate). This season, PSV face a challenging group, including Juventus, Sporting, PSG, Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Brest, Red Star Belgrade, and Liverpool.
However, they have had an impressive start to their domestic campaign, winning all four of their opening matches against Waalwijk (5-1), Heracles (3-1), Almere City (7-1), and G.A. Eagles (3-0). They were aiming for five wins in a row as they prepared to face NEC Nijmegen last weekend.
With Thiago Motta in charge, Juventus are hoping for a strong Champions League run. However, they have a few key absences, including forward Milik (injured), Thuram, and Weah. Paul Pogba is suspended due to doping, and Kostic has transferred to Fenerbahce.
New arrival Koopmeiners is expected to play a major role, while young talent Francisco Conceicao has returned from injury. The Juventus attack will be led by Vlahovic, who has already scored two goals this season, alongside rising star Yildiz, who has provided two assists.
PSV face their own challenges, with top scorer and captain Luuk de Jong (29 goals and 15 assists last season) sidelined due to injury. He joins an injury list that includes Sergino Dest, Fofana, Mauro Junior, Obispo, and Saibari.
However, winger Bakayoko, who impressed with 12 goals and 9 assists last season, should feature, along with Til (2 goals, 2 assists) and midfielder Veerman (1 goal, 4 assists). Noa Lang remains doubtful after missing the last match and not being called up by the Netherlands.
Prediction
Both Juventus and PSV have shown a tendency to concede goals in recent Champions League matches, with six of Juventus’ last eight home games and nine of PSV’s last 13 away games seeing both teams score. A similar pattern is expected in this encounter.
Prediction: Juventus 1-3 PSV
