Juventus took the initiative in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, beating PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in the first leg at home on Tuesday (Feb 11). Juve placed 20th in the league phase and is the unseeded team in the play-offs, while PSV had ranked 14th. The two sides had also met in the league stage, with Juve winning 3-1. The return leg will be played in Eindhoven on Feb 19.
Samuel Mbangula registered late to give Juventus a slender advantage over PSV in their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off.
The Italian side, who finished 20th during the group phase, made a dominant start as Nicolas Gonzalez, Kenan Yildiz and Paris Saint-Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani all had opportunities.
Weston McKennie broke the deadlock in the 34th minute with a stunning strike from the edge of the area after PSV failed to clear their lines.
Mbangula was introduced as a half-time substitute for Yildiz and almost had an immediate impact when his volley was cleared off the line by Ryan Flamingo.
Despite struggling to carve out clear cut chances, the Dutch side levelled with just their second shot on target when Ivan Perisic nestled an effort into the bottom corner.
Perisic's first Champions League goal since 2020 was allowed to stand after a lengthy check by the video assistant referee following appeals that Noah Lang had used his hand in the build-up.
With the game seemingly heading for a stalemate, Mbangula popped up to score the winner from just a couple of yards out.
It is the second time the two clubs have met in this season's Champions League with Juve winning 3-1 when they hosted PSV in the group phase.
The second-leg will take place at Philips Stadion on Feb 19.
