The second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League Round of 16 between Arsenal (England) and PSV (Netherlands) will take place on March 12 at the Emirates Stadium in London. The first match ended 7-1 in favor of Arsenal. Arsenal vs. PSV: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Arsenal
The Gunners settled the outcome of this matchup in the first leg. Winning 7-1, the Londoners became the first team in the Champions League to score such a number of goals in an away playoff match. Additionally, Mikel Arteta's side extended their winning streak in this tournament to five games. If there are no surprises in the return leg, Arsenal will advance to the quarter-finals of this European competition, just like last season.
- At least three goals have been scored in the last five matches involving the English side in this tournament.
- At least one team failed to score in 7 of Arsenal's last 10 Champions League games.
- The club has opened the scoring in 6 of their last 8 matches in this European competition.
Predicted lineup for Arsenal (4-3-3)
David Raya – Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber – Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard – Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard.
Forwards Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka, as well as defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, will not play due to injuries.
PSV
Peter Bosz's team performed well in the group stage, overcame strong Juventus in the previous round, but faltered in the Round of 16, losing 1-7 at home. This defeat is the heaviest in the club's history in European competitions. To at least force extra time, PSV needs to pull off a miracle and defeat the Londoners at their stadium by a six-goal margin.
- Both teams scored in regular time in the last five matches involving the Dutch side in this tournament.
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of PSV's last 8 Champions League games.
- The Dutch team has not won in 8 of their last 10 away matches in this European competition (3 draws and 5 losses).
Predicted lineup for PSV (4-3-3)
Walter Benítez – Olivier Boscagli, Richard Ledezma, Ryan Flamingo, Tyrell Malacia – Jerdy Schouten, Guus Til, Ismael Saibari – Ivan Perisic, Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang.
Midfielder Malik Tillman and forward Ricardo Pepi will not play due to injuries.
Referee
Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 43;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 22%.
Match Prediction: Arsenal vs. PSV
In the first leg, playing without pure forwards, the Londoners easily scored seven goals. This underscores Arsenal's immense attacking potential. I believe the return leg will also be high-scoring, as the Dutch have no reason to sit back and defend. On the contrary, the team will likely opt to play open football against the Gunners and push forward from the start.
I expect three or more goals in this match. In their last five Champions League games, Arsenal scored at least three goals in four matches and scored twice in the other. The visitors are also likely to score, as the Londoners might field a second-string lineup, which PSV's forwards will likely exploit. Overall, the Dutch team has been consistent in scoring in the Champions League. In their last 11 matches in this tournament, PSV failed to score only once.
My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
