Sitting ten points clear at the helm of the Eredivisie, Peter Bosz’s PSV Eindhoven eagerly awaited the visit of Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League – and would feel confident of recording a positive result against a Schwarzgelben side that were held to a 1-1 draw by VfL Wolfsburg last time out.
PSV: Benítez; Dest, Boscagli, Schouten, Teze; Saibari, Veerman, Tillman; Lozano, de Jong, Bakayoko
BVB: Meyer; Maatsen, Schlotterbeck, Hummels; Ryerson; Can, Sabitzer; Sancho, Reus, Malen; Füllkrug
Despite a strong start from PSV Eindhoven, Tuesday’s hosts found themselves trailing before the half-hour mark as former de Boeren striker Donyell Malen saw his deflected strike ricochet over the line via a deflection off the underside of the crossbar.
It was the Dutchman’s first goal in the UEFA Champions League since 2021, but his strike would carry die Schwarzgelben into half-time with a valuable lead at the Philips Stadion – with Johan Bakayoko having seen his attempt at an equaliser scuffed wide of the post before the break.
But PSV, as they had done in the first half, emerged as the stronger side when play resumed and were awarded a penalty in the 56th minute when Mats Hummels hacked down Malik Tillman inside the box. Luuk de Jong converted with a composed effort, restoring parity and further instilling belief amongst the hosts.
Embed from Getty ImagesPeter Bosz’s side looked the likelier of the two sides to net a winner as the match grew older, but were ultimately forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Eindhoven ahead of their trip to Signal Iduna Park on March 13. Borussia Dortmund have not lost at home in the UEFA Champions League in over two years.