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Big Game Focus: Basel v PSV

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group Stage - Group B - PSV Eindhoven v Tottenham Hotspur - Philips Stadium, Eindhoven, Netherlands - October 24, 2018 PSV Eindhoven's Hirving Lozano celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

 

Dutch giants PSV face a tough task in tonight’s Champions League qualifier against Basel. PSV won the first leg 3-2 and carry a slender one-goal advantage. Basel need only one goal to go through in what is expected to be a thrilling showdown at St. Jakob-Park. Who will go through? Bet on the game here. 

Basel’s two away goals were a good achievement, although they feel they shouldn’t have conceded three. Therefore, the Swiss giants will feel confident ahead of tonight’s clash. The two goals could be very vital but they were obviously outclassed by PSV who dominated possession and created quite a lot. Marcel Koller’s men will fancy themselves to do much better in terms of creating goal scoring opportunities, though they’ll have to improve defensively. How will Basel respond tonight? Can they produce a much better performance?

In the first leg, PSV went ahead through a 14th-minute Bruma goal, but Albian Ajeti equalised on the stroke of half-time and they seemed in trouble when Omar Alderete struck with just 11 minutes left on the clock. However, Sam Lammers levelled things up in the 89th minute and Donyell Malen snatched a dramatic winner at the death. The Dutch will need to produce a performance like that in Switzerland to have any chance of progressing.

Betting preview

Basel scored twice away from home without really playing well and were a whisker away from clinching a priceless victory. PSV have lost five of their last ten away matches in the Champions League. Although Basel’s reputation in the Champions League has long dissipated, if they put in a better performance, they’ll get the job done. For that reason, you can back a Home Win at odds of 2.60. 

All of Basel’s last six matches have seen three or more goals scored. Three of PSV’s last five matches have seen Over 2.5 Goals. The first leg also saw five goals scored. Therefore, odds of 1.50 for Over 2.5 Goals are appealing. 

Both teams have found the back of the net in Basel’s last five matches in all competitions. The last two meetings between these two teams have seen both teams score. That being so, you can back Both Teams to Score at odds of 1.40. 

Team news. 

After starting on the bench over the weekend, striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel is expected to start for Basel.

PSV are expected to recall Erick Gutierrez and Hirving Lozano, who were on the bench for the Dutch Super Cup.

Possible line-ups

Basel: Omlin, Widmer, Petretta, Fernandez, Comert, Alvarez, Frei, Zuffi, Stocker, Okafor, Ajeti

PSV: Zoet, Dumfries, Lato, Viergever, Luckassen, Hendrix, Rosario, Lozano, Bergwijn, Bruma, Malen

 

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