PSV vs Barcelona Predictions

PSV were always the underdogs in Champions League Group B, and Wednesday could see all hopes of remaining in European competition disappear as they enter their penultimate group game. They are bottom of the group currently, 3 points adrift of Spurs in 3rd and 6 behind Inter Milan in 2nd.

It’s not all been bad for the Eredivisie giants though. They picked up a point at home to Spurs in matchday 3 and were incredibly unfortunate to lose the reverse fixture 2-1 at the start of November. If luck were more on their side they could well have found themselves in a position to qualify for the Europa League knockout rounds.

One thing PSV certainly excel at is scoring goals. They have netted 62 goals in just 21 competitive games this season, and while the vast majority of those have come in the weaker Eredivisie, they have still found the net in 5 of their 6 Champions League games in total and in 3 of their 4 group matches.

Despite this, Barcelona are the clear and understandable favourites on Wednesday. The La Liga superstars currently lead the way in Group B, holding a 3 point advantage over Inter Milan and knowing that a win on Wednesday would all but seal the top spot. They have won 3 of their 4 matches, only failing when they visited Inter Milan earlier this month.

That 1-1 draw at the San Siro was the start of a 3 match winless run that they are yet to break out of though. They have drawn against Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, either side of a shock 4-3 loss at home to Real Betis. There is no doubting that they aren’t at their best at the moment, but PSV still have a monumental mountain to climb if they are to get anything from this game.

One thing they should be able to get is a goal. Barcelona have rarely been lauded for their defensive ability, and this season things have declined significantly. They have conceded 23 goals in their 19 competitive matches and have only kept 2 clean sheets in their last 13 games.

Away from home they have conceded in 7 of their 9 matches in all competitions, and they’re facing a PSV side who have failed to score in just 1 match all season. We like the look of a Barcelona Win and Both Teams to Score, along with a 3-1 win for the visiting side.