Excluding weaker teams like Como, Empoli, or Verona, where a convincing victory is expected, Juventus’ best performance of the season was at the start of the Champions League when they gave PSV Eindhoven a footballing lesson. They scored three goals in less than an hour, eventually winning 3-1. Euphoria spread across Piedmont, only to fade with weaker performances as the season progressed. The Champions League round of 16 playoff draw once again paired Juventus with PSV, but tonight was a different story. Despite PSV’s recent dip in form, Juve struggled at home but managed to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory, gaining a slight advantage ahead of the return leg in Eindhoven. Even this narrow lead was achieved with great difficulty, thanks to Juventus’ brightest revelation this season—Samuel Mbangula. The absolute discovery of Thiago Motta, who found him in the youth team as an unknown talent last June and immediately recognized his potential. Despite having no professional matches in his career, the young Belgian quickly earned Motta’s trust and has become a key player this season.Samuel Mbangula this season for Juventus.4 Goals 4 AssistsHe’s not even a starter. Baller. 🇧🇪✨ pic.twitter.com/ixnVoPnyxF— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuveEN) February 11, 2025 Once again, Motta left Dušan Vlahović on the bench (for the sixth consecutive match), opting instead for January signing Randal Kolo Muani. Two other winter acquisitions, Renato Veiga and Lloyd Kelly, also started, while a surprise decision saw Teun Koopmeiners benched in favor of Weston McKennie, who played a more central role. At 25 years and 172 days on average, this was the youngest Juventus lineup ever to play in the Champions League knockout stages. PSV fielded a relatively expected squad, with Croatian veteran Ivan Perišić making his Champions League debut for the Dutch side, starting in place of Johan Bakayoko.LIVE BLOG UCL playoffs: Jude with a late death to kill Man City!Juve applied early pressure through Yıldız, Kolo Muani, and Nico González, but Walter Benítez was sharp in PSV’s goal. It took the visitors about 15 minutes to break free and settle into the game, and then they became dangerous. Luuk de Jong threatened with a header, Ismael Saibari had two chances, and PSV sent a clear warning to Juventus. Just when PSV seemed to be finding balance, Juventus took the lead. Federico Gatti ventured forward and caused confusion in the opposition’s defense. A series of poor defensive reactions left the ball at Weston McKennie’s feet, and from the edge of the box, he fired a rocket under Benítez’s crossbar—Motta got it right. Not much changed after the goal, and Juve went into halftime content. However, instead of tactical changes from Peter Bosz, it was Motta who made a substitution at the break. Young Mbangula replaced Yıldız in what seemed like a strange decision—unless it was due to injury. But once again, Motta got it right. Mbangula had a golden chance early in the second half to double Juve’s lead. After a brilliant run by Timothy Weah, the Belgian had a clear shot, but André Ramalho made a goal-line clearance.Should Arteta be on alert? Vlahović is availablePunishment followed just five minutes later. What a moment of class from Ivan Perišić! The composure, the cold-blooded execution—he received the ball, skillfully turned Kelly inside out, and then clinically placed his shot into the near post. PSV fully deserved the equalizer. Motta responded immediately. He brought on Conceição, followed shortly by Marcus Thuram and Koopmeiners. Vlahović remained on the bench until the 77th minute, only entering as the last substitution, even though Juve needed a goal. In fact, PSV looked closer to scoring a second during that period. And then, once again, Mbangula emerged as Motta’s savior. He secured victory on his debut against Como, rescued a point against Bologna in stoppage time, orchestrated a win over Milan… and tonight, he sealed the triumph against PSV. Once more, Juventus exploited PSV’s weakness on the left flank. Conceição made a fantastic run down the right wing and delivered a cross into the box, where Benítez failed to clear properly. The ball fell kindly to the young Belgian, who reacted instinctively, finishing like a top-class striker to seal the win.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – PLAYOFFSTuesday Brest – PSG 0-3 (0-2)/Vitinha 21(p), Dembele 45,66/Juventus – PSV 2-1 (1-0)/McKennie 34, Mbangula 82 – Perisic 56/Man.City – Real Madrid 2-2 (1-0)/Haaland 19, 80 – Mbappe 60, Diaz 86/Sporting – Dortmund 0-3 (0-0)/Guirassy 60, Gross 68, Adeyemi 82/Wednesday20.45: (3.60) Club Brugge (3.40) Atalanta (2.10)23.00: (7.75) Celtic (4.80) Bayern (1.40)23.00: (2.95) Feyenoord (3.45) Milan (2.35)23.00: (2.35) Monaco (3.45) Benfica (2.95)***odds are subject to change***
