On Thursday, August 22, starting at 19:30, PSV will meet Apollon in the first round of the Europa League playoff.
With Mark van Bommel on the bench, the home team had the main objective in the Champions League groups, but the Dutch team was surprisingly eliminated in the Basel qualifiers and thus PSV reached the Europa League. In the previous tour Haugesund passed without too much emotion after he won 1-0 and drew 0-0 on his own ground.
On the other side, the guests went through 3 preliminary rounds in this competition, eliminating Kauno Zalgiris, Shamrock Rovers and Austria Vienna. Although normally the Cyprus team should have had the most emotions in the last round when they met the Austrian group, things did not even happen because the Limassol team qualified with a double victory, 2-1 away and 3-1 “at home”. Cypriot supporters had the highest emotions at the return with the Irish band Shamrock Rovers. After losing 2-1 at Dublin, Apollon also won 2-1 at home, and A. Sardinero scored the qualifying goal in the 102nd minute.
The difference in value is obvious and we should normally see a success of the host band. In the last games, PSV has looked good on the defensive and very likely Mark van Bommel wants to not get a goal in this first half to avoid emotions in Cyprus.
PREDICTION: PSV to win @ 1,35
