PSV vs Lens prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-11-07 20:00.
PSV may have made it an incredible 11 wins from 11 in the Eredivisie at the weekend with a 6-0 thumping of Heracles, but their UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign has so far been a different story. With two draws and a defeat from three Group B matches so far, PSV sit bottom of the group on goal difference and are seemingly staring down the barrel of another UCL group stage elimination like they suffered in 2016/17 and 2018/19 when they finished bottom of their group.
A 1-1 draw at Lens in the last round means that the Dutch giants are now without a victory in 15 games in the UCL proper, as the Eindhoven outfit look to get one over the Blood and Gold in the reverse fixture here. That’s perhaps easier said than done given PSV’s slightly frustrating record against French opposition though, winning just ten of 36 such meetings (D15, L11).
Lens occupy second spot in the group and are pushing hard to reach the UCL knockouts for the first time in the club’s history. A nine-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W4, D5) is certainly helping Franck Haise’s men, who have shown incredible powers of recovery during that streak, having let in the opener on five occasions – including in all three of their UCL outings!
Evidenced by that recent never give-up attitude, expect Haise’s in-form side to battle hard during their trip to the Philips Stadion, with their fighting spirit resulting in them picking up more bookings after three UCL group stage rounds than all bar Atlético Madrid, Lazio and Red Star Belgrade. That could make this game tough to call, especially as Haise has an even H2H record against opposite number Peter Bosz, having faced each other three times (W1, D1, L1) before that latest draw in the UCL two weeks ago.
Players to watch: Luuk de Jong already has 15 goals and eight assists in 2023/24 (including UCL qualifiers), with six of his last seven goal involvements coming after half-time. Similarly influential, Elye Wahi has three goal contributions in his last two UCL games (G2, A1), including scoring the equaliser against PSV and the winner against Arsenal.
Hot stat: PSV have scored in the second half of every home match so far this season.