PSV Eindhoven and Monaco square off in the Europa League on Thursday night looking to build on collecting four points from their opening two group games.
While both clubs have managed to secure a draw with La Liga pacesetters Real Sociedad, defeat on Thursday could see either of these teams drop into third spot in Group B.
Match preview
© Reuters
There have been times this season where PSV have looked like they were going backwards under Roger Schmidt, particularly during a period where they lost to Feyenoord and Willem II.
However, now sitting just one point behind Eredivisie leaders Ajax and performing well in the Europa League, Schmidt will be relatively satisfied with the current situation.
Clean sheets remain a major issue for this team with just one being recorded in eight attempts, but scoring 22 goals in nine games at the other end cannot be ignored.
That said, their last seven strikes have remarkably all being scored in the 74th minute or later, a bizarre trend but one which suggests that this is a fit group of players.
Goals continue to be shared around the squad, their 22 efforts in the Dutch flight coming from 12 players and six different members getting on the scoresheet in the Europa League.
© Reuters
Despite claiming the same amount of points as their next opponents in Europe, Monaco have been considerably less impressive where performances are concerned.
After edging out group minnows Sturm Graz by a 1-0 scoreline, Nico Kovac witnessed his team give up a lead in Spain to draw with Real Sociedad.
Nevertheless, remaining undefeated at this stage is a respectable return, particularly given their inconsistency on the domestic scene.
Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Lyon, their fourth in 10 league games, has left Monaco down in 10th position in the Ligue 1 standings.
- D
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
- W
- W
- D
- D
- W
- W
- D
- W
- L
Team News
© Reuters
PSV will be without Ibrahim Sangare after the midfielder was sent off during the 2-2 draw with Sociedad.
Davy Propper could be recalled in his place, while Noni Madueke will hope to feature after making his comeback from injury at the weekend.
However, Yorbe Vertessen is also an option in the final third, the youngster contributing a goal and an assist in his last 57 minutes of action.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Sofiane Diop are expected to return for Monaco after they both sat out Saturday's league game through suspension.
Guillermo Maripan is also in line for a recall in defence, while Myron Boadu will hope for an opportunity in his homeland.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Drommel; Mwene, Ramalho, Boscagli, Max; Propper, Van Ginkel, Gotze; Madueke, Zahavi, Gakpo
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Aguilar, Maripan, Badiashile, Jakobs; Diatta, Lucas, Tchouameni, Fofana, Diop; Boadu
We say: PSV Eindhoven 1-1 Monaco
With the margins for error extremely small in this group, do not expect both sides to push forward at will. Nevertheless, this could prove to be an intriguing clash, one which could end in a share of the spoils.
Top tip
Darren Plant
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a PSV Eindhoven win with a probability of 45%. A win for Monaco had a probability of 31.71% and a draw had a probability of 23.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a PSV Eindhoven win was 2-1 with a probability of 9.1%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (7.35%) and 2-0 (6.38%). The likeliest Monaco win was 1-2 (7.47%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.47%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 7.5% likelihood.
