PSV vs Girona prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-04 17:45.
[p]After dominating large spells of the current Eredivisie season, PSV were brought back down to earth this weekend as they were beaten 3-2 by rivals Ajax. That ended a run of seven outings without defeat across all competitions (W5, D2), with their prior loss coming in a 3-1 defeat to Juventus on matchday one of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL). [/p]
[p]Since then, they’ve drawn both of their next two UCL outings 1-1, first at home to Sporting CP before then taking a point on the road to PSG in a much more positive showing. Next up, they’ll look to find a way past Girona in a bid to extend their five-match unbeaten run on home soil in the UCL proper (W1, D4), which is already their best such run since December 2005. [/p]
[p]But Girona will travel north in much higher spirits than for large periods of this season as they beat Leganés 4-3 at the weekend. That result pushed the visitors further away from the bottom-three in La Liga, and they’ll look to build on that by continuing their winning form on the European stage after beating Slovan Bratislava last time out in the UCL (2-0).[/p]
[p]Their only prior away match in this competition finished in a 1-0 loss to PSG thanks to a 90th minute own goal, and they return to the road looking to avoid making unwanted history. That’s because no Spanish team has ever lost their opening two away matches in the UCL proper, though that could change here as Girona enter as sizable outsiders according to the bookmakers.[/p]
[p]Key battle: Malik Tillman has enjoyed an excellent start to the Eredivisie season, netting five goals across 11 appearances, while 11 of his 12 goalscoring outings for the club have ended in victory (D1). Girona defender Miguel Gutierrez will be looking to thwart him here and could be dangerous at the other end of the pitch after scoring both at the weekend and during his last UCL match.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Just one of Girona’s last seven away matches saw both teams score.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Nathan Evans[/i][/p]