BATE Borisov vs PSV Eindhoven 22/08/18

22 August 2018

The Belarusian team BATE Borisov, who has been the regular participant in both top European club competitions over the last few years, will host PSV Eindhoven at the Borisov Arena in the Champions League play-off round, hoping for a positive outcome that could bring them one step closer to the group stage of the most prominent club competition on the old continent. The current Belarusian champions have already taken part in two qualifying rounds, where they have faced off against HJK Helsinki, whom they have defeated 2-1 on aggregate while eliminating the Azerbaijani side Qarabag thanks to a 1-0 win on the road. Apart from that, BATE are also marching towards new league title,as they currently have a 7-point lead over Vitebsk in the Belarusian Premier League. On the other hand, PSV, who opened the new Eredivisie campaign with two straight victories, 4-0 over Utrecht at homeand 2-1 over Fortuna Sittard on the road, will seek their third Champions League appearance in the last four years. The Red and whites have already lost the Dutch Super Cup Final to Feyenoord after a penalty-shoot-out, and a potential elimination in the Champions League qualifications might be considered a disaster for Mark van Bommel’s team.

According to the latest reports, the home side will enter the game at full strength, while Ramon-Pascal Lundqvist should be the only player to skip the encounter for the visitors.