FC Midtjylland forms the second hurdle for PSV on the way to the group stage of the Champions League. The number two of the past Superligaen season first comes to the Philips Stadium on Tuesday evening, after which the return is scheduled in Herning a week later. PSV coach Roger Schmidt has to find a solution for the absence of the suspended Olivier Boscagli, but his colleague Bo Henriksen is struggling with much bigger personnel problems.
PSV survived the diptych with Galatasaray in the second qualifying round sovereign: 5-1 win in Eindhoven, 1-2 win in Istanbul. In the return, however, Boscagli received a second yellow card, as a result of which he had to leave the field prematurely and was suspended for the first match against FC Midtjylland. “We have suitable alternatives for that, with Nick Viergever and Armando Obispo. They both deserve to play,” Schmidt said at the press conference on Monday in the run-up to the FC Midtjylland meeting.
Looking back I Galatasaray – PSV I Ramalho plays a strong pot, Van Ginkel accurate
More videos
It Eindhovens Dagblad Nick Viergever puts forward as the most logical replacement for Boscagli. In that case, the 32-year-old center defender can take a record, because he then surpasses Willy van de Kerkhof and Danny Blind as the player with the most European appearances for Dutch clubs. Viergever was brought in as a substitute in Istanbul fifteen minutes before the end after Boscagli was sent off. It Eindhovens Dagblad suggests another possible change in PSV’s starting eleven.
Phillipp Mwene was preferred as right back in the diptych with Galatasaray, but Jordan Teze is now training again with the A-selection and will soon get a chance, according to the newspaper. By the way, Ryan Thomas will not be present when the kick-off is on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. in Eindhoven. The New Zealand midfielder is struggling with a minor injury, Schmidt said at the press conference. Schmidt hopes to have Thomas available again during the match for the Johan Cruijff Scale against Ajax, which is scheduled for next Sunday. Denzel Dumfries will normally not be there either. He trains individually at De Herdgang after consultation with Schmidt and technical manager John de Jong, because he does not disturb the current hierarchy and group dynamics.
Possible position of PSV according to the Eindhovens Dagblad: drum; Teze, Ramalho, Viergever, Max; Van Ginkel, Sangare; Madueke, Gotze, Gakpo; Zahavi.
Personnel problems at FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland – which last season finished as number two behind champions Bröndby IF in Denmark – settled with Celtic in the second preliminary round. After a 1-1 draw in Glasgow, the score was the same in Denmark after ninety minutes. In the end FC Midtjylland managed to produce the winning goal in extra time, as a result of which the game was won 2-1. However, trainer Henriksen has to miss three players in Eindhoven, because Nicolas Madsen, Henrik Dalsgaard and Pione Sisto were tested positive for the corona virus.
Jens Cajuste is also not present, although that was more or less certain in advance. The midfielder annex Swedish international has been given the space to make a transfer and aftonbladet reports on Tuesday that FC Midtjylland has accepted an offer from Brentford. The amount that the Premier League promoter is willing to pay is unknown, but Stade Rennes recently came to blows for the third time in Denmark with an offer of twelve million euros.
Television
The match between PSV and FC Midtjylland can be followed live on Tuesday evening on RTL7. The preview starts at 7:25 p.m., with kick-off at 8:00 p.m. Sergey Karasev will then start the duel. The Russian referee was in charge of the match between Ajax and FC Midtjylland in the group stage of the Champions League last season, while he also whistled the lost eighth final of the the Dutch against the Czech Republic at the European Championship. The winner of the diptych between PSV and FC Midtjylland will face Spartak Moscow or Benfica in the last qualifying round of the Champions League. The loser is already certain of participating in the main draw of the Europa League.