- Juventus secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs
- Weston McKennie and Samuel Mbangula scored for Juventus, while Ivan Perisic equalised for PSV
- The second leg in the Netherlands will determine who advances
Key Takeaways:
Juventus secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League playoff clash against PSV. The Turin side opened the scoring through Weston McKennie in the 34th minute but conceded an equaliser in the 56th when Ivan Perišić found the net. Youngster Samuel Mbangula sealed the win for the hosts in the 82nd minute, but Juventus’ narrow advantage leaves the tie wide open ahead of the second leg in the Netherlands.
Job's half done 💪
Together towards the next one 😤#JuvePSV [2-1] #UCL pic.twitter.com/V1XAQTQLgp— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 11, 2025
Thiago Motta fielded Randal Kolo Muani as the lone striker, supported by Nicolás González, Weston McKennie, and Kenan Yildiz in attacking roles. Peter Bosz countered with a front three of Noa Lang, Luuk de Jong, and Ivan Perisic.
Juventus broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Federico Gatti surged forward and delivered a low cross parallel to the goal line, but both Kenan Yildiz and Kolo Muani failed to convert. Gatti fought to regain possession and played the ball back to the onrushing Weston McKennie, who fired a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area to make it 1-0.
PSV equalised in the 56th minute. Manuel Locatelli blocked a long-range effort from Noa Lang, but the ball fell to Ivan Perisic, who dribbled past a defender and struck a powerful shot into the near corner for 1-1.
Juventus pushed forward chaotically, with Thiago Motta reshuffling his entire attacking line. However, the home side struggled to create clear-cut chances. When the first real opportunity arrived in the 82nd minute, the Italians regained the lead. Francisco Conceicao advanced down the right flank and delivered a sharp cross into the box. PSV goalkeeper Benitez failed to clear convincingly, pushing the ball into the path of Samuel Mbangula, who reacted quickly and slotted it into the net for the final score of 2-1.