Champions League | Juventus 2-1 PSV: Slight advantage after first leg

TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 11: Samuel Mbangula of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off first leg match between Juventus and PSV at Allianz Stadium on February 11, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Juventus take a narrow lead with them into the second leg of the Champions League play-off thanks to Weston McKennie and Samuel Mbangula around Ivan Perisic’s temporary PSV Eindhoven equaliser.

These sides had already met in the league phase, with the Bianconeri winning here 3-1 on September 17, and the second leg of the play-off is on February 19. Mid-season signings Randal Kolo Muani, Lloyd Kelly and Renato Veiga all started, with Teun Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic pushed to the bench, plus Andrea Cambiaso, Pierre Kalulu, Arkadiusz Milik, Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal injured. PSV missed Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and former Roma full-back Rick Karsdorp, but had ex-Serie A players Jerdy Schouten and Perisic.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Tim Weah’s cross-shot stung the goalkeeper’s gloves in the opening minutes, while Ryan Flamingo charged down a Kolo Muani tap-in with his sliding block, then both Nico Gonzalez and ex-Inter winger Perisic tested the goalkeepers.

Luuk de Jong nodded a Noa Lang cross back from the by-line from a corner, but Flamingo just failed to get full contact with his header from six yards.

Federico Gatti created the opening goal, as he battled down the right first to pull it back from the by-line, then to win it again and set up the McKennie right-foot scorcher into the roof of the net from the edge of the area. The USMNT midfielder had also scored when Juve beat PSV Eindhoven 3-1 here in September 2024.

“YOU DON’T STOP THOSE!” 💥

Weston McKennie 👏 What a strike from the American to break the deadlock and put Juventus ahead!

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/AymhUdKiz8

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 11, 2025

Samuel Mbangula came on for the second half and almost scored straight away when volleying the strong Tim Weah run and cross from the right, but it was acrobatically cleared off the line by Flamingo.

However, PSV Eindhoven equalised when Perisic sold Kelly a dummy to cut inside and drill hard and low with his left foot into the near bottom corner. Juve complained that there was a possible Lang handling offence in the build-up, but the VAR check considered it insufficient to disallow the goal.

PSV draw level in Turin, and it’s Ivan Perišić who finds the bottom corner brilliantly to make it 1-1! 🎯

Game on ⚽️

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/KHoIBoAzwF

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 11, 2025

Juve restored their advantage with another strong run down the right flank, this time from Francisco Conceicao whose low effort was parried with one glove at the near post by Benitez, only into the path of Mbangula to turn in the rebound from seven yards.

Juventus retake the lead ⚽️

Conceição’s cross it spilled into the path of Samuel Mbangula fires high into the roof of the net 💥

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/g1w10ncXer

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 11, 2025

PSV pushed to the end, as Renato Veiga and Di Gregorio combined to prevent Guus Til turning in the Luuk de Jong knock-down in stoppages.

Juventus 2-1 PSV Eindhoven

McKennie 34 (J), Perisic 56 (P), Mbangula 82 (J)

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