RUUD VAN NISTELROOY has made a promising start to life as manager of PSV Eindhoven and will be hoping to keep the momentum going by dumping Monaco to reach the Champions League play-off round.
The Dutch legend kicked off with a thrilling 5-3 win over Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield then followed it up with a creditable 1-1 draw in France in another early test of his credentials.
PSV will now be confident of finishing the job on home soil and the warmed up for Monaco's visit by battering Emmen 4-1 in their Eredivisie opener.
Van Nistelrooy can't be accused of being a cheque book manager as he has spent just over £5million this summer on eight new arrivals while raking in £12m from sales.
His signings look pretty shrewd, with Dutch international Guus Till snapped up in a cut-price deal from Spartak Moscow after the Ukrainian invasion, and the board will be hoping the new gaffer can now lead them to a Champions League jackpot.
But Monaco won't be pushovers in this tie and the French side were unlucky not to grab a first-leg lead in the principality, although our man Gabriel was glad they didn't after he had backed the draw.
Philippe Clement's side followed that up by beating Strasbourg in their Ligue 1 opener and will fancy their chances in the Netherlands.
Clement took over in January and had the team flying towards the end of last term, with Monaco going unbeaten in their last 10 games and winning nine of those matches.
They haven't tasted defeat since way back in March so PSV Eindhoven will need to be at the top of their game to go through.
How the bookies view it
PSV are McBookie's 8/11 favourites to qualify on home soil with Monaco at 11/10. For a win on the night, the Dutch side's odds increase to 11/8 at SBK, who price Clement's men at 21/10. Another draw would take us to extra time and that pays 11/4 with BoyleSports.
Head to head
These sides have faced off five time and can't be separated with two wins apiece and three draws. They faced off in the Europa League last season and Monaco won 2-1 in the Netherlands (below) after a 0-0 draw in France.
Players to watch
Cody Gakpo is attracting interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Manchester United the latest to be linked with the PSV winger. He could add a few more millions to his price with a starring role in this game and is 41/20 at Unibet for anytime scorer.
Aleskandr Golovin returns for Monaco after a domestic suspension and the Russian playmaker always catches my eye. He's the man who makes Monaco tick and looks overpriced at 24/5 with Unibet for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Thrills have been guaranteed with PSV so far under van Nistelrooy with an average of five goals per game and BTTS landing in all three matches. That's why backing both teams to score pays just 13/20 at Betway for this one while over 2.5 goals is 31/40 at the same firm.
But we only saw two goals in the first leg and with the score level it could be a bit cagey so I fancy under 2.5 strikes instead at 23/20 with Unibet. The half-time draw also stands a chance and that pays 5/4 with BoyleSports.
The first leg only produced five corners and that suggests betting against a lot in the return could pay off. Bet365 price under 10 corners at 5/6 while the odds increase to 29/20 at Unibet for under 8.5.
This UEFA Champions League match between PSV Eindhoven and Monaco will be played on Aug 9, 2022 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best PSV Eindhoven vs Monaco prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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