Everything on... PSV

We return to Champions League action against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday evening, looking to claim our first points in Group B.

We’ve met the Dutch giants twice before in European competition, each side winning 1-0 away from home in our 2007/08 UEFA Cup round of 16 tie before PSV prevailed 6-5 on penalties.

Here’s everything you need to know about our latest European opponents...

Team news

New Zealand international midfielder Ryan Thomas has not played this season after picking up a knee injury in training and is therefore not included in the club’s Champions League squad. Aside from him, coach Mark van Bommel should be able to name his strongest line-up at the Philips Stadion.

One to watch

Hirving Lozano quickly rose through the ranks with Pachuca and was an integral part of the Mexican side’s 2017 CONCACAF Champions League-winning team, claiming the Golden Boot with eight goals and scooping the competition’s Best Young Player award.

PSV swooped for him that summer and his reputation has continued to flourish. He scored 17 league goals in his first season as the team wrestled the Dutch title back from Feyenoord then starred for Mexico at the World Cup, scoring the winner in their opening game against Germany.

Equally at home on either flank and capable of playing up front, the pacey 23-year-old has been on fire at the start of this season with eight goals in nine league games. His latest strike came in Saturday’s 6-0 cruise against Emmen, a match in which he also picked up two assists.

Previous meetings

12 March, 2008 – PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Spurs – UEFA Cup round of 16, second leg
06 March, 2008 – Spurs 0-1 PSV Eindhoven – UEFA Cup round of 16, first leg

Last clash

We arrived in Eindhoven a goal down from the first leg of our 2008 UEFA Cup clash thanks to Jefferson Farfan’s goal at White Hart Lane but produced a spirited response to take the tie into extra time.

Dimitar Berbatov struck with nine minutes left and we nearly completed a remarkable turnaround in the additional 30 minutes, only for PSV goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to deny Steed Malbranque with a stunning save.

The Brazilian, who would later join us at the Lane, was also pivotal in the penalty shootout, saving from Jermaine Jenas when our midfielder had a spot kick to send us through. Pascal Chimbonda then fired our seventh penalty wide as we bowed out.

PSV’s form

Mark van Bommel has made the best start to a league campaign of any coach in the club’s history. PSV’s astonishing opening in the Eredivisie has seen them win all nine matches by an aggregate score of 36-3.

They also overcame BATE Borisov at home and away in the Champions League play-offs but have since suffered two setbacks in the same competition, losing 4-0 at Barcelona and 2-1 at home to Inter.

Magic moment

We were staring elimination in the face heading into the final 10 minutes of our UEFA Cup round of 16 second leg in Eindhoven in March, 2008, but, not for the first time, Berbatov produced a moment of magic to level the aggregate score.

Chimbonda’s hopeful right-wing cross did not appear particularly dangerous but ‘Berba’ met it on the edge of the area with a cultured and controlled volley that fizzed low past Gomes.

Played for both

Many Spurs fans believe it was Gomes’ performances in those UEFA Cup meetings that convinced us to sign him in summer 2008. He would be our number one for the following three seasons.

Gomes started his career in Brazil with Cruzeiro and made 59 league appearances before moving to PSV, where he would be their first-choice custodian for the next four campaigns.

‘The Octopus’ fell out of favour at White Hart Lane at the start of the 2011/12 season but did not leave the club permanently until summer 2014, when he signed for Watford. He won promotion to the Premier League in his first year at Vicarage Road and has now played 144 league games for the club.

Our former goalkeeping coach Hans Segers, who stepped in to play twice for us in 1998, is another stopper who represented both clubs.

What they’re saying

With both clubs having fallen short in their opening two matches in this season’s Champions League group stage, PSV boss Van Bommel said: “Winning means you are still in the group, but if you lose it's almost over.

“Spurs have a lot of quality players and weapons to win games, but so have we. In my opinion, Inter, Barcelona and Tottenham are almost equal, there are no big differences.”

Van Bommel, a former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan midfielder, disagreed with a suggestion in his pre-match press conference that we’ve struggled to hit top form this season: “I think all the top teams in Europe have that problem. I don’t think Spurs are playing badly, though,” he said.

“It's difficult, (their players) played a long road in the World Cup and have some injuries but I think they are doing well.”

On Harry Kane’s start to the season, he added: “Part of being a striker is if you don’t score you are concerned, but if the team are playing well the goals will come.

“If you are such a quality player it is only a matter of time before you start scoring again. If we only focus on Harry Kane we will be in trouble. They have quality players across the pitch, with Kieran Trippier providing the crosses.”