Midtjylland vs PSV

MCH Arena is the venue as Midtjylland and PSV Eindhoven go head-to-head in the return leg of their UEFA Champions League third-round qualifying tie.

A horrendous 3-0 first-leg defeat in Eindhoven puts Midtjylland in an almost impossible situation ahead of the return leg. The Danish side bundled Celtic out of the qualifying series last time out, but their hopes of reaching the Champions League group stages are now up in the air. Unfortunately, Midtjylland cannot rely on their overall home H2H record versus Dutch visitors, having picked up a single win from five such European fixtures (D1, L3), with that solitary success coming by a narrow one-goal margin. On the bright side, Midtjylland’s flying start to Superliga season (W3, L1) might provide the home side with a glimmer of hope that the miracle can be done. A high-scoring affair is on the cards, nonetheless, with three of Midtjylland’s last four competitive home games containing over 2.5 total goals.

On the other hand, PSV have been a force to be reckoned with in the ongoing qualifying series, having won all three Champions League qualifiers by an aggregate scoreline of 10-2. An imperious continental form, coupled with an overwhelming 4-0 victory over bitter rivals Ajax in the Johan Cruijff Shield last weekend, indicates the visitors are likely to complete their mission here. Moreover, the ‘Peasants’ have been relentless against Danish opposition in European competitions, racking up five triumphs in seven overall encounters (D1, L1). Curiously, though, PSV found themselves trailing at half-time in each of their last three competitive trips to Denmark, going on to avoid defeat twice across that period (W1, D1, L1).