With the return against Juventus coming up, it's time for a look back: how did PSV perform in the last five two-legs in the knockout phase on the European stage?
Duel with Borussia Dortmund
Last season's duels with Borussia Dortmund are still fresh in the memory. PSV finished second behind Arsenal and ahead of Sevilla FC and RC Lens in the group stage. In the Round of 16, Peter Bosz 's team faced the German superpower. The first match took place at Philips Stadium, where Donyell Malen opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Luuk de Jong equalized from 11 meters in the second half. With that, there were still plenty of chances for the second game.
At the Signal Iduna Park, however, Dortmund started the match better. Jadon Sancho opened the scoring after only two minutes. Although Dortmund threatened to run out, a second counter goal failed to materialize. PSV regrouped and had chances for the equalizer, but after ninety minutes the dream was over anyway. Marco Reus delivered the final blow with a second goal in the last second: 2-0.
Frustrating victory
In the 2022-2023 season, PSV encountered Sevilla FC for the first time in history during the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa League. The outward match in Spain ended with a solid 3-0 defeat.
At the Philips Stadium, the team of then head coach Ruud van Nistelrooij had to overcome that deficit. Sevilla held out for a long time, but in the 77th minute Luuk de Jong broke the spell and brought new hope. In the 94th minute, Fábio Silva signed for the 2-0. PSV pulled out all the stops to force the equalizer, but despite a strong effort, the final score remained a frustrating 2-0 victory.
UEFA Conference League duals
In the 2021-2022 season, PSV played three two-tournament matches in the knockout phase of the UEFA Conference League.
In the first round, PSV faced Maccabi Tel Aviv. A goal by Cody Gakpo ensured a 1-0 victory in the home game. In the return, Yorbe Vertessen opened the score, but a late equalizer by Maccabi made for an exciting final phase. PSV held on and advanced to the next round.
In the eighth finals, PSV took on FC Copenhagen. The first game in Eindhoven became a true spectacle. PSV fought back from a deficit each time and thanks to goals by Cody Gakpo (2), Ritsu Doan and Eran Zahavi, the match ended in 4-4. The return in Copenhagen was more convincing: PSV won 4-0 and qualified for the quarter-finals.
'The Foxes'
The quarter-finals featured Leicester City. The first game in England remained scoreless, despite great chances on both sides. The return in Eindhoven started promising: Mario Götze intercepted the ball and put Eran Zahavi in position, who scored the opening goal. In the second half, however, the English turned the game completely around by scoring twice in the last quarter of an hour. PSV failed to equalize again and were eliminated.
