PSV vs Royal Union SG: will anyone kick off the Champions League with a win?
On Tuesday, September 16, the new UEFA Champions League season kicks off, and in one of the matches, PSV will face Royal Union SG. The match starts at 18:45 CET, and I have a betting tip for this game.
PSV vs Royal Union SG: match preview
PSV clinched last season’s Eredivisie title and qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League, bypassing the qualifiers. The Dutch side have a relatively smooth start — a match against Royal Union SG, followed by encounters with Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, and Olympiacos. But tougher challenges await: Liverpool, Bayern, Newcastle, and Atletico are on the horizon. That’s why it’s crucial for PSV to start with a win and lay the foundation for a playoff run. Last season, they reached the round of 32, beating Juventus, but fell at the round of 16 to Arsenal — a very respectable result for PSV.
Royal Union SG, meanwhile, were crowned Belgian champions for the first time last season. This is their maiden league title and a long-awaited debut in the UEFA Champions League. For the club, participating in the tournament is a historic milestone, and motivation is sky-high. The Belgians have started the new season in dominant fashion: after seven league rounds, they remain unbeaten with five wins and two draws. They top the Jupiler Pro League table with 17 points, holding a three-point lead over their closest rival.
Match facts and head-to-heads
- PSV have lost just one of their last ten matches, winning nine of them.
- Royal Union SG are unbeaten in seven straight fixtures: five wins and two draws.
- Royal Union SG have kept four consecutive clean sheets.
- This is the Belgian side’s debut in the UEFA Champions League.
- The teams have faced each other only once before — in a July friendly, which PSV won 1-0.
Probable line-ups
- PSV: Kovar; Syldilla, Schouten, Flamingo, Dest; Veerman, Saibari; Perisic, Til, van Bommel; Pepi
- Royal Union SG: Zagostryenye; Sykes, Mac Allister, Leysen; Halaïli, Zorgane, Rasmussen, Niang; David; Rodriguez, El Hadj
Prediction
It’s clear both teams will be eager to make a statement in the new Champions League campaign. The sides are fairly evenly matched, but PSV have more European experience and the added advantage of home turf. My prediction: PSV to win at odds of 1.8.
