The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage between PSV (Netherlands) and Union (Belgium) will take place on September 16 at the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven. PSV vs. Union: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
PSV
The club won the last Dutch championship and secured a spot in the Champions League group stage. PSV is participating in the main round of this tournament for the third consecutive time, having reached the round of 16 in the previous two editions. The Dutch side's best achievement in the Champions League was reaching the semi-finals in the 2004/05 season. Additionally, PSV has avoided defeat in 8 of their last 11 Champions League games (5 wins, 3 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in PSV's last 6 Champions League matches.
- The team has not lost in 11 of their last 12 home games in this tournament (7 wins, 4 draws).
- In 6 of their last 8 home Champions League matches, the Dutch side conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for PSV (4-5-1)
Matej Kovar – Sergiño Dest, Ryan Flamingo, Kilian Sildillia, Jarek Gasirowski – Jerdy Schouten, Joey Veerman, Ismael Saibari, Ruben van Bommel, Guus Til – Ivan Perisic.
Defender Mauro Junior and forward Alassane Pléa are injured.
Union
The Belgians also won their national championship, marking their third title in the last five seasons. The club's previous two attempts to reach the Champions League group stage ended in early eliminations. However, Belgium's improved UEFA ranking allowed Union to skip the qualifiers. Their last European campaign was in the Europa League, where Sebastien Pocognoli's side finished 21st in the group and lost to Ajax in the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Belgians avoided defeat in 5 of their last 7 Europa League matches (4 wins, 1 draw).
- The club has scored in 6 of their last 7 Europa League games.
- Union has avoided draws in their last 8 away European matches (4 wins, 4 losses).
- In their last 5 away Europa League matches, the club has not conceded more than two goals.
Predicted lineup for Union (3-4-3)
Kjell Scherpen – Fedde Leysen, Christian Burgess, Ross Sykes – Anouar Ait-El-Hadj, Anan Khalaili, Adem Zorgane, Mathias Rasmussen – Kevin Rodrigues, Ousseynou Niang, Promise Akinpelu.
Forward Raul Floruc is suspended.
Referee
Anthony Taylor (England)
Matches – 16 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 66;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 25%.
PSV vs. Union: Match Prediction
In their last Champions League campaign, the Dutch side suffered their largest defeat in the tournament, losing 1-7 to Arsenal, ending an 11-match unbeaten home run in the Champions League (7 wins, 4 draws). The desire to redeem themselves in front of their fans will be an extra motivation for Peter Bosz's team. It's worth noting that PSV prefers attacking football. At home, they have scored in 12 consecutive Champions League matches, but only managed to keep a clean sheet in two of those games.
The Belgians lost both of their away matches in the Champions League. Even in the Europa League, Union shows weak results away from home, failing to win in 6 of their last 8 matches (1 draw, 5 losses). The team is likely to struggle against much stronger opponents. Moreover, Sebastien Pocognoli's side is not known for reliable defense, having conceded in 6 of their last 8 Europa League matches. However, they have also scored in 5 of those games.
I believe the hosts will not lose in a high-scoring match. My prediction: PSV not to lose and Total over 2.5 goals
