Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven

Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán hosts a high-stakes Champions League encounter between Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven.

Problems are piling up for Sevilla boss Diego Alonso after a 2-1 league defeat to Real Sociedad at the weekend left him winless in all seven clashes against top-flight opponents (D4, L3). Not only are ‘Los Rojiblancos’ stranded in La Liga’s lower league, but their Champions League journey looks destined to end in the group stages. After back-to-back draws to kick things off in Group B, the Spaniards have lost consecutive meetings with Arsenal, going into the penultimate round three points adrift of the runner-up spot. Alonso must plug Sevilla’s defensive holes to bolster his side’s chances of pulling off a late comeback. They’ve yet to keep a clean sheet in this season’s Champions League campaign and have conceded in their last 11 matches against top-tier opposition.

In the meantime, PSV Eindhoven confirmed their domestic dominance at the weekend as a 3-0 thrashing of fierce rivals Twente marked their 13th straight at the start of the new Eredivisie campaign. Translating their superb domestic form to the continental front is imperative if they’re to progress into the Champions League knockouts for the first time since 2015/16. However, not since the start of the 2008/09 season have the ‘Peasants’ won an away match in the Champions League group stages (D4, L10). That’s not to mention they’ve not kept a clean sheet on their last ten UEFA travels, highlighting the size of the upcoming task. On the upside, after a three-game winless start to their Group B campaign (D2, L1), Peter Bosz’s team got off the mark in the last round, beating Lens at home 1-0.