Hello and welcome to the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven where we have PSV taking on AC Milan for a place in the much coveted, multi-million dollar group stage of the Champions League.
AC Milan are regulars in the Champions League while PSV haven't qualified for the group stages since 2008, however the Dutch go into the match after seeing off Belgian side Zulte Waregem in their previous play-off.
AC Milan are yet to start their season but shouldn't have an issue with scoring goals after smashing Derthona 11-0 in a pre-season friendly.
So, can PSV hang onto their crucial home advantage or can Milan head back to the San Siro with the game in the bag?
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LIVE COMMENTARY… PSV Eindhoven 1 - 1 AC Milan
FULLTIME: PSV Eindhoven 1 - 1 AC Milan
93 Min: That's it! It's all over and it should be a pretty fantastic game back at the San Siro for the second-leg! ALL VIDEO UP
91 Min: Abate still full of running, bursts down the right and crosses in for El Shaarawy who is guilty of trying to hit the ball too hard...El Shaarawy's taken a hard fall as well and has to go off for treatment.
90 Min: After a long delay we have a corner and it goes low, Poli steps over it, falls to Mexes with no one around! He has a wild swing and he's completely botched it! Thats a chance gone begging!
87 Min: Jojefzoon has an interesting burst here as a long ball goes up through the middle! He brings it down in behind Mexes but his touch takes him wide and he's forced back, the move breaks down...And right down the other end Poli plays a one-two with Balotelli and Poli is in behind! Shoots! Saved by the keeper! Tha could prove to be a game-saver!
86 Min: Niang comes on for Boateng as the assistant behind the goal gets pounded with a shot...Corner to Milan...Free-header for Mexes but he heads over.
85 Min: Here is Montolivo though straight up through the middle, he's got Bruma to beat, Bruma stands off and Montolivo tries to pass anyway when he really should have taken the shot. The pass is cut out and cleared.
84 Min: Classic stuff from Milan as they begin to feign injuries...
80 Min: Not long to go now and you'd think Milan will be happy with this. Ready to play with their away goal at the San Siro.
77 Min: Milan with another break and Mexes plays in El Shaarawy who goes down the left, tries to put a square ball across the box but Brenet puts it behind for a corner...Balotelli up for it! Heads over.
76 Min: Locadia on for Matzvan and Motolivo picks up a yellow.
75 Min: Great cross-field ball from Willems falls to Jojefzoon who hits hard at the top corner! Blocked by a defender. Corner comes in and falls to Rekik who nods a free header wide!
74 Min: Bruma has another crack from distance and it stays down but goes wide.
73 Min: PSV's turn to counter and Wijnaldum plays a great through ball for Depay to chase but Abate comes across to clear it.
72 Min: Milan on the counter, El Shaarawy plays a great ball across the other side of the park to Balotelli who takes it into the box and shoots! Blocked by Rekik.
71 Min: Matavz wins a free-kick on the very edge of the area...Maher has a pop and it's tipped over, corner to PSV...put behind for another corner.
70 Min: De Jong plays a long ball forwards and there's confusion between Brenet and Bruma and Balotelli pops up to grab it off both of them...but he then loses it to Bruma and pulls on his shirt and Balotelli earns a yellow-card.
68 Min: Park goes off and on comes Jojefzoon, another young gun.
67 Min: Balotelli goes down cluthcing his face but play goes on and Montolivo has the ball bearing down on the box, sends it out to El Shaarawy down the left who looks to get a cross in but it's blocked.
66 Min: Milan back to the old routine of wasting time. It's Montolivo and he will get a warning not a card.
65 Min: Brenet with a pump down the right, Emanuelson comes and cross and puts the ball into touch though...
61 Min: That goal will be a massive boost for PSV! Can they now go on to win it?
60 Min: Now Bruma with a seriously optimistic shot from way out. It dips and swerves but the keeper gets down to it...but can't hold on to it, Matavaz is there to follow up! GOOOOAAALLLL!!!
59 Min: Milan really taking control of this game now...Abate whips in a cross to the near post for El Shaarawy who's flick on is blocked...ball back out and Milan pick up a free-kick which is a fair distance from goal but it looks like Balotelli will hit it...But he hits it poorly and the keeper takes it easily.
58 Min: Park hasn't seen much of the ball on his second debut for the club and when he does get it for once he's clattered.
56 Min: Bit of a lull at the moment...Phillip Cocu supposedly still needed to get a work permit to manage the club despite being a long-time player for them not that long ago...Just a fact for you there.
53 Min: Milan keeping the heat on PSV with another corner...Cleared away.
52 Min: Boateng turns on the ball and has some space. Gives it out to Balotelli who dinks across a ball for El Shaarawy! Puts that one wide from 6 yards.
51 Min: Depay with a crack from long-range out wide. It's low and it's easy for Abbiati to gather it. Optimistic shot from Depay.
50 Min: Zapata plays a ball straight to the feet of Balotelli who flicks it on beautifully for Shaawary in the clear! He goes for goal first time! Hits it wide.
48 Min: Boateng surges through the middle and skips away from a tackle in the middle of the park, he pushes it wide to the left to Balotelli who gets jeers from the crowd. Balotelli cuts back in and chips a ball into the box which is overcooked and taken safely by the keeper.
47 Min: Abate down the right, he knocks it into the box but Rekik clears. Milan already look more up for this.
46 Min: We're back underway at the Philips Stadion!
HALFTIME: Don't go away football fans it's been a fantastic first 45 minutes and the second half will no doubt be a cracker as PSV look to get themselves back into this tie!
46 Min: Yellow card for Maher after Balotelli makes the most of a shoulder to shoulder...and I mean the absolute most...>THATS HALFTIME!
46 Min: El Shaawary with the ball down the left, he cuts in on to his right and runs across the top of the box before unleashing a shot which is blocked.
45 Min: One minute to be added and it really has been a great first half.
43 Min: Milan are already time-wasting....El Shaawary with a corner but it's headed away.
41 Min: AC Milan produce some serious danger from nowhere as El Shaawary cuts a lovely ball for Monotlivo who is running square, Montolivo into the box! He tries to go around the defender but the ball is cut out by Bruma...
40 Min: So I guess the question is, can PSV keep up their momentum in the second-half? It's crucial that they do or they could see Milan easily sit back and hold the ball...Although just as I say that, Matavz has turned away from Mexes down the left! He delivers a cross for Maher in the middle who heads wide and that's unfortunate because Maher was arriving on the edge of the box.
37 Min: Ball lost by Milan deep in the half, Depay plays it right to Matavz feet who truns and gives it to Maher, Maher goes on a strong run! Tries to round Abate! He's into the box Maher shoots! Ball smashes against the crossbar! How unlucky!
36 Min: Rekik and Balotelli are re-united in this game, both players trained together at Man City.
33 Min: PSV continue to press and this time it's Maher with the volley! What a save by Abbiati!
32 Min: Nice deep cross from Wijnaldum and it causes problems for Abbiati who spills it! Depay with the follow up! Can't get there in time and the ball is cleared.
31 Min: El Shaarawy on the break for Milan, tries to hook a ball over the top and through the middle for Balotelli but Bruma is first there.
30 Min: 10-3 attempts at goal so far and PSV can feel hard done by. One loss of focus is the difference...
28 Min: Long ball up to Park but instead it goes as far as Mexes who heads the ball to Matavz who takes it on his chest and volleys from outside the area but slices it high and wide.
27 Min: Milan obviously content to play to the away goals rule going by their deep formation...If PSV continue the way they are they could easily bag a goal though.
26 Min: Great football from PSV as they work the triangles up the middle of the park, ball falls to Park who can push into the box but he's been tripped from outside the area, tries to stay on his feet but eventually goes down in the the penalty box so unfortunately he hasn't got a penalty or a free-kick...
24 Min: PSV get some momentum in the middle of the park and the ball falls for Maher who strikes it from distance! Forces a good save out of Abbiati and it's a corner...which is played short.
23 Min: Break is on for AC Milan as El Shaarwary gives it up to Muntari who plays it sqquare to Balotelli in the box but he's shadowed well by Rekik...he's not going anywhere so he goes down and calls for a penalty which isn't given.
22 Min: Good ball over the top for Depay to chase but Abate shows his pace and gets back. He's looking very neat at the back.
21 Min: Depay hits a low one from distance but it's dragged wide.
20 Min: If you haven't seen then here are the highlights for Shaktar Karagandy's win over Celtic.
17 Min: PSV win a free-kick in a very good spot! Just outside the box and Depay hits it but it's gone straight into the wall.
16 Min: Well PSV really only have themselves to blame for that goal, and they've given it away in front of their goal again and Balotelli has a crack from long-range! Keeper tips it on to the crossbar!
15 Min: Depay has gotten in trouble down the right wing as Boateng gets in behind him! Acres in front! Plays a lovely ball in the middle which is met by El Shaawary who heads home! GOAL!
13 Min: Balotelli wins a long ball from Abbiati lays it off to Muntari who gives it back before Balotelli chips a lovely ball over the defence for Muntari who goes for an audacious bicycle kick! Which rolls wide...
12 Min: Willems comes from deep and has a crack at goal! Comes off Zapata and goes behind for a corner. Great start to this game! Corner whipped in, Abbiati meets it and punches it away whilst taking a tumble and wins the foul.
9 Min: Qualifying for the Champions League means AC Milan wuill earn 30m Euros...Wow
8 Min: Great move by PSV as a ball comes across to Park (QPR's on-loan Ji Sung) who flicks it back for Schaars to have a shot which stings the hands of Abbiati! Cleared away.
8 Min: Weak shot from Depay after he cut back in on his right foot.
7 Min: Confusion between the centre back Rekik and keeper Zoet at the back for PSV as Balotelli closes in on the ball! Zoet gets to it first, falls to Elshaarawy one-on-one! Saved by Zoet!
6 Min: AC Milan hardly seen the ball in these opening stages...Zapata with it at the back before Emanuelson hoofs it upfield.
4 Min: All PSV in these early stages as Depay gets a nice ball down the left, tries to turn Abate but is forced away.
2 Min: Early shot from Maher for PSV, he drags it across but it falls into the path of Depay who steers it just wide of the post! PSV keep up the pressure on keeper Abbiati.
1 Min: We are underway!
Teams are out on the field! Much to the commentators disappointment they're playing the Champs League theme despite the fact they aren't in the Champions League!
PSV have done a Southampton and gotten rid of their stripes on the home kit. That's a shame I always liked the PSV home kit...
Teams are in the tunnel and AC Milan players just getting some strong words from Phillip Mexes before they head out on the field.
It's not exactly the Champions League yet, but it basically is and boy has it been missed! Both of these teams you could imagine in the Group Stages of the tournament so this is going to be a real kicker for whoever doesn't make it through and this leg will be extremely important to PSV.
Well we're not far away from kick-off football fans! In other matches around Europe Celtic have gone 2-0 down in their play-off against Shaktar Karagandy so the second league is going to be a battle for the Scottish Champs.
Kick-off isn't far away so in the meantime check out the previews of the other Champions League play-offs that are happening across Europe.
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Predicted Line-ups:
PSV Eindhoven: Zoet; Arias, Rekik, Bruma, Willems; Maher, Hiljemark, Wijnaldum; Jozefzoon, Locadia, Depay
Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, de Jong, Nocerino; Boateng, Balotelli, El Shaarawy
Pregame Banter:
AC Milan regards a place in the Champions League group stage as key to its image and finances but the PSV will be looking to finally get the better of the Rossoneri in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off.
PSV lost out to Milan in the 2004-05 semi-finals, despite two goals from their current coach Phillip Cocu, but will enter this tie buoyed by a 5-0 aggregate success against Belgium's SV Zulte Waregem in the third qualifying round.
Dutch clubs are no longer the force they were in European competition, but even so, Milan, third in Serie A last season, will not be relishing their trip to 1988 champions PSV, who have already played five games this season and won them all.
The seven-time European champions have missed out on the group stage only once in the last 11 seasons and failure to qualify this term could quickly turn the heat back on coach Massimiliano Allegri who believes their lack of match practice could be a factor.
"PSV have already played three league games and we've still to play any official game. So far, we've had only one friendly against one of the best teams in Europe (against Barcelona in the USA). That's why I think that we are not prepared physically enough for the match."
But Cocu knows only too well how dangerous the Italians can be.
"I think we shouldn't be afraid to show that we trust ourselves, but we also know that we are going to play against an absolutely top club with lots of individual and team quality."
"PSV started the season quite well, but the real test for us will be the match against AC Milan tomorrow," said PSV centre back Jeffrey Bruma.
Milan reached last season's round of 16 before a 4-2 aggregate loss to Barcelona.
They posted two wins and two defeats on their travels, scoring in neither of those losses.
PSV have sold several key players from last season, but have been boosted by the emergence of 17-year-old Belgian Zakaria Bakkali, who became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Eredivisie in this month's 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen.
The 10 playoff winners join 22 elite teams that qualified directly for the lucrative group stage. The draw is made August 29 in Monaco.
3 News/SNTV/AP
source: newshub archive
