Psv

The former PSV, Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid superstar was widely recognised as one of the finest players of his generation.

Ronaldo went to four World Cups with Brazil and won both the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball in their 2002 success, having played no part in the Selecao's 1994 triumph.

But he remarkably only won two domestic league titles (both in LaLiga with Madrid) as his career was hampered by injuries.

In a new documentary on DAZN, Ronaldo discussed mental health in football with former Madrid and Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos.

And 'O Fenomeno' was asked further about his own struggles in an interview with Marca, confirming he had suffered from depression.

"Today I am in therapy," Ronaldo said. "I have been in therapy for two and a half years, and I understand myself much better than before.

"But then again, I'm from a generation in which you were thrown into the arena and you had to do your best without the slightest hint of drama.

"I look back, and I see that yes, we were exposed to a very, very big mental strain and without any preparation for it.

"Also because it was the beginning of the internet era, with the speed at which information travels. At that time, there was no concern about the mental health of the players.

"Today players are much better prepared, they are given the medical attention they need to face the day to day, and players are studied more: the profiles of each player, how they react, how they should react.

"In my time, there was none of that, unfortunately, because we have known all our lives that soccer can cause a lot of stress and be very decisive for the rest of our lives."

He added: "The reality is that we didn't even know this kind of problem existed. It was absolutely ignored among our generation.

"Many, obviously, have gone through terrible times, even depression, because of the lack of privacy, the lack of freedom.

"It is true that the problems were very obvious, but the solutions were not very available."

The Blues have splashed a reported £35million (€40m)to land the England youth international, who spent time in the academies of London rivals Crystal Palace and Tottenham before moving to the Netherlands.

Madueke has signed a seven-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues having the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

Chelsea's want for Madueke has persisted despite the mega-money deal to land Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as their loan deal for Joao Felix, while he was reportedly a player of interest to boss Graham Potter during his time with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having supposedly seen approaches earlier in the window rebuffed, Chelsea returned to secure a deal to extend their spending spree under Todd Boehly.

"I'm really pleased to sign with one of the best clubs in the world in Chelsea," Madueke told his new club's official website upon confirmation of the deal on Friday.

"To return to England and play in the Premier League is a dream for me and my family and I can’t wait to get started.

"I am excited for what the future holds, the owner's vision for the future and to be at a club like this and winning at the highest level."

Madueke has made only five appearances in the Eredivisie for PSV this season, scoring once.

PSV sold star player Cody Gakpo to Liverpool in December, and it had seemed that 20-year-old Madueke would be the natural replacement for the Netherlands forward.

Chelsea's busy transfer window saw Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana signed on a permanent basis, with Joao Felix joining from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season before they beat Premier League leaders Arsenal to the signing of Ukraine international Mudryk.

Gakpo has been linked with several of Europe's biggest clubs – including Manchester United and Real Madrid – after emerging as a key part of Ruud van Nistelrooy's side. 

The forward has scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie games this season, the third-highest tally of goal contributions (21) after 14 games in the league since the 1999-00 season – only Van Nistelrooy (27 in 1999-00) and former Liverpool man Luis Suarez (25 in 2009-10) have bettered that tally.

While Erik ten Hag's United have been linked with Gakpo for several months, reports on Monday claimed Liverpool were close to signing the 23-year-old for an initial £37million (€42m) fee.

Having impressed for the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, where he scored three goals, Gakpo is now on course to arrive at Anfield in the January transfer window.

A statement from the Eredivisie giants said: "PSV and Liverpool have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.

"The 23-year-old attacker will leave for England imminently where he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer."

Should a deal be completed, Gakpo will provide competition in the forward line for Jurgen Klopp's team, who are currently without injured pair Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

The Blues have splashed a reported £35million (€40m)to land the England youth international, who spent time in the academies of London rivals Crystal Palace and Tottenham before moving to the Netherlands.

Madueke has signed a seven-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues having the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

"I'm really pleased to sign with one of the best clubs in the world in Chelsea," Madueke told his new club's official website upon confirmation of the deal on Friday.

"To return to England and play in the Premier League is a dream for me and my family and I can’t wait to get started.

"I am excited for what the future holds, the owner's vision for the future and to be at a club like this and winning at the highest level."

Chelsea's want for Madueke has persisted despite the mega-money deal to land Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as their loan deal for Joao Felix, while he was reportedly a player of interest to boss Graham Potter during his time with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having supposedly seen approaches earlier in the window rebuffed, Chelsea returned to secure a deal to extend their spending spree under Todd Boehly.

Madueke has made only five appearances in the Eredivisie for PSV this season, scoring once.

PSV sold star player Cody Gakpo to Liverpool in December, and it had seemed that 20-year-old Madueke would be the natural replacement for the Netherlands forward.

Chelsea's busy transfer window has seen Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana signed on a permanent basis, with Joao Felix joining from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season and Mudryk arriving from Shakhtar.

Inter confirmed the signing of Dumfries shortly after revealing striker Edin Dzeko had completed his switch from domestic rivals Roma.

Dumfries, who was impressive for the Netherlands at Euro 2020, scoring twice during the tournament, is believed to have been purchased for a fee of €12.5million plus add ons.

The 25-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the Nerazzurri.

Dumfries appears set to be the like-for-like replacement for Achraf Hakimi, who was sold to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the transfer window.

Hakimi's sale was required as Inter looked to ease financial difficulties. The club have also seen star striker Romelu Lukaku depart to Chelsea for a reported £97.5m (€115m).

"The feeling is amazing," Dumfries told Inter TV. "I'm very happy to join the champions of Italy. It's a big opportunity for me and I'm happy to be here.

"I'm a wide defender and I like to attack a lot. I think I'll fit in at Inter as they play with five at the back, as I have done with the Netherlands.

"I know which Dutch players have played here before. It's an honour to join them on the list.

"I hope we can have a great season, maybe win another league title and do well in the Champions League. I can't wait to get started."

Dumfries excelled for Frank de Boer's Netherlands team at Euro 2020, despite the Oranje's disappointing exit to the Czech Republic in the round of 16.

Playing as a wing-back, Dumfries started all four of his country's matches, playing 315 minutes in total.

Inter look set to continue with a back three under new boss Simone Inzaghi, who used a similar system at Lazio, meaning Dumfries will likely slot straight into the role that Hakimi occupied last term.

Dumfries has big shoes to fill, though. Hakimi played in 37 league matches in 2020-21, with only Lautaro Martinez (38) featuring more in the top flight under Antonio Conte during the campaign.

Hakimi scored seven times, a total only bettered in Inter's ranks by Martinez (17) and Lukaku (24), while he also provided eight assists.

His crossing was a particular threat, registering an accuracy of 25.52 per cent from 145 crosses from open play. Based on Euro 2020, this is something that Dumfries will need to improve, given none of his six crosses were classed as successful.

However, his presence in the area was often enough to help the Netherlands break down defences, and only Memphis Depay (24) had more touches in the opposition box than Dumfries.

Dumfries also contested (58) and won (28) more duels than any other Dutch player at Euro 2020, recording a success rate of 48.28 per cent, a figure that is not dissimilar to Hakimi's rate of 50.05 per cent from 333 duels in Serie A last season.

A host of Europe's elite clubs are reportedly interested in the Netherlands international, who became only second player in World Cup history to open the scoring three times in the same group stage in Qatar.

The 23-year-old boasts 17 goals and eight assists in 31 games this season, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich also said to be interested in Gakpo.

United are suggested to be the frontrunners, having already attempted to sign Gakpo in the past window, though Brands will demand a sizeable sum for the forward.

"When you talk about Cody Gakpo and the price tag, how many clubs are able to buy a player of that calibre?," Brands said on an appearance with the PSV Supporters Association. 

"You are talking about maybe 10 or 12 clubs in Europe. You have to need a player in that position and be able and willing to spend the money in January, which is normally less hectic than the summer.

"We have yet to see if it all happens. He has no clause or anything, and no amounts have been agreed on either. The agreements that were made were there before my time.

"It must be a record transfer for PSV anyway, so then you know in which direction it is going."

With the January transfer window looming and the Netherlands out of the World Cup after a quarter-final defeat to Argentina, Brands insists no decision has been made over Gakpo's future.

"In the media, it seems like all the clubs are lining up, but the reality is that we don't know anything about interest or anything yet. It's quiet," he added.

"I've spoken to Cody, he's going on vacation for ten days. If something happens, it is perhaps known to Cody or his management, but not to us yet."

Ajax convinced United to pay £81.3million (€95m) for Antony in August, though Brands believes that transfer is not an accurate representation of what PSV may be able to demand for Gakpo.

"But that had nothing to do with market conformity, but with a club that is in panic and a trainer who insisted on him," he continued. 

"Many players have left for market value in recent times, such as Gabriel Jesus [to Arsenal] for fifty million or Erling Haaland [to Manchester City] for 75 million."

Despite securing a maiden European triumph over Slovan Bratislava last month, Girona are still struggling to find their best form, dealing with a long list of players out injured.

Following a LaLiga win over Leganes on Saturday, Michel said his players may not be full of energy but have the mentality to look for points at the Philips Stadion.

A positive result could be vital, given Girona then take on the likes of Liverpool, Milan and Arsenal.

"We have a lot to win and little to lose," Michel said ahead of Girona's first ever meeting with PSV.

" We are playing against a historic team with European titles. We don't come with all the energy I want, but we do come with a mentality.

"We need the points and, of course, every game is important. I don't know how high the bar will be to get into the top (places) but we are on a privileged stage and we will compete."

Girona occupy the 24th and final play-off place in the 36-team Champions League table, with three points from three games. PSV are in 28th with two points.

"We have to try to be the ones who dominate and who have the ball. We have to try to make them look towards their goal, if we give them control it will be very difficult for us to keep up the pace and hold them off," Michel added.

"PSV have been practically unbeaten at home for two years in a row. They are a great team with tremendous pressure and pace.

"We know how difficult it will be and if we want to get anything out of them we have to match their intensity."

Spanish teams have lost all four of the away games they have played in the Champions League this season. 

PSV, on the other hand, are unbeaten in their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League; their longest run without a home defeat in the competition since December 2005 (11 games). However, four of the five games in their current run have ended in stalemates (W1), including each of the last three.

Months of games, so many ups and downs, goals scored and conceded, and yet it can all still come down to the finest margins in the closing minutes of the last day.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson, the winner is showered with praise; the loser is taunted and booed until my throat is sore.

With one matchday left, the title races in both Serie A and the Premier League are going to the final 90 minutes. Milan and Manchester City have their destinies in their own hands, but Inter and Liverpool are looking to respectively pounce on any stumble.

There is the potential for exceptional drama in Italy and England, but can the Nerazzurri and the Reds have much hope of pulling off the improbable and wrestling the respective title from their rivals?

Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more dramatic title races from recent history that show anything is possible.

Every goal matters

The Eredivisie provided about as tense a finish as you could imagine in 2006-07, with PSV Eindhoven and Ajax unsurprisingly the main characters.

A strong title defence from Ronald Koeman's PSV began with 18 wins from 21 games, and just one defeat.

However, losing four and drawing four of their next 12 games coupled with Ajax winning five of six leading into the final day meant they were neck and neck on points heading into the last game.

Despite being behind on goal difference, a tremendous effort from PSV saw them pip their rivals after an emphatic 5-1 win over Vitesse, while Ajax could only muster a 2-0 victory over Willem II, losing the title by a single goal.

When goals made no difference in LaLiga

In the same season, Real Madrid made a disappointing start in LaLiga, drawing their first game 0-0 with Villarreal at home before going on to lose seven of their first 21 league matches.

After drawing four games in a row between mid-February and mid-March, title hopes seemed to be over for Fabio Capello's men, only for nine wins in 11 games to send them into the final day level on points with Barcelona.

Barca thrashed Gimnastic 5-1 away from home to do their bit, but Madrid eased to a 3-1 win against Real Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Blaugrana had a significantly better goal difference of +45 compared to Madrid's +26, but that mattered not as the tie-breaker came down to head-to-head record, which was in Los Blancos' favour having beaten Barca 2-0 at home and drawn 3-3 at Camp Nou.

"Agueroooooo!"

Following Sheikh Mansour's takeover of Manchester City in 2008, the club had grown year-on-year and by the 2011-12 season, felt they were ready to mount a challenge at the top of the Premier League.

Roberto Mancini's side started well enough, winning 11 of their first 12 games, but three defeats across December and January dented hopes, while two losses and two draws in a five-game period in March and April all but killed them.

That was until five wins in a row coincided with Manchester United losing to Wigan Athletic and dramatically drawing 4-4 with Everton at Old Trafford.

City beating United on matchday 36 swung things in the Sky Blues' favour, and they went into the last day needing only a win against lowly QPR to seal it.

In typical fashion, they made it hard work for themselves, finding themselves 2-1 down heading towards the 90th minute. United had won 1-0 at Sunderland, which meant City needed two goals or they would have lost the title in agonising fashion.

An Edin Dzeko header made it 2-2, before Mario Balotelli slid in Sergio Aguero for one of the most famous goals in English football history, giving City their first top-flight title since 1969.

The ultimate last day head-to-head

It was like something out of a Hollywood film. All the previous nine LaLiga titles had been won by Clasico giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, but in 2013-14, Atletico Madrid believed they could spoil the party.

Barca were the pacesetters, winning 13 of their first 14 games, while Real Madrid were struggling after losing to both Atletico and Barca.

Diego Simeone led his team to an incredible 16 wins from their first 18 games, but a 0-0 draw with Barca made it look like it would be the tightest of run-ins.

Indeed it was, with Real coming back to the party after an 18-match unbeaten run, though back-to-back defeats to Barca and Sevilla stopped them in their tracks.

Gerardo Martino's Barca were wobbling too, losing three out of seven games between February and March, and then drawing with Getafe and Elche to give Atletico their chance on the final day.

As if it could not have been more dramatic, Atletico went into the last game three points clear, but needing a point to clinch the title, away at Barcelona.

Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring for the Blaugrana, but Diego Godin's header handed the crown to Atletico.

When six were not on the beach

You may not be as familiar with this final day, but it stands as one of the most remarkable in the history of the game.

Never mind two or three, there were six clubs that could still claim the Ligue 2 title going into the final round of matches in 2016-17.

Strasbourg, Amiens, Troyes, Lens, Brest and Nimes all in with a shout with one game remaining, all separated by three points at most.

Technically, the drama was not really with the winner of the title, but the other automatic promotion spot that was up for grabs, with Strasbourg able to hold on to top spot following a nervy 2-1 win against Bourg-Peronnas, but it was a 96th-minute strike from Emmanuel Bourgaud sealing a 2-1 win at Stade Reims for Amiens that provided unbelievable drama, taking the aptly named Unicorns from sixth to second.

I did not think I would be advising Inter and Liverpool to go into their games with an "Amiens mindset", but there we are.

Hiddink declared in a television interview that he had decided to quit as boss of Curacao and would not return to football.

The Dutch great told SBS 6: "Lately, with COVID, I haven't worked much. Coincidentally I was talking with the president of the Curacao federation and we came to the conclusion it was better that I stop for a while, because they are going in a new direction.

"But I'm going to stop totally. Am I going to do a Advocaat. No, no."

That was a reference to his fellow veteran coach Dick Advocaat, who was expected to retire after leaving Eredivisie giants Feyenoord last season but instead took on the job of coaching Asian nation Iraq.

Hiddink began his career at PSV and had two spells with the Eindhoven club, from 1987 to 1990 and 2002 to 2006, winning three Eredivisie titles in each successful stint.

His PSV side won the old European Cup in 1988, beating Benfica on penalties in Stuttgart following a goalless draw, clinching a treble after already landing the domestic league and cup titles.

He twice led teams to World Cup semi-finals – the Netherlands in 1998 and South Korea in 2002 – and helped Australia reach the second round of the 2006 tournament.

His Russia team reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals, where they lost 3-0 to Spain, and he had his first short spell as Chelsea interim manager while still in that national team job, helping the Blues win the 2009 FA Cup.

Hiddink was not a success at Madrid, failing to complete the 1998-99 season before he was sacked. He managed one trophy while at the Santiago Bernabeu, helping Madrid beat Vasco da Gama in the Intercontinental Cup.

A long career as a head coach also took in jobs at Valencia, Real Betis, Turkey, Fenerbahce and Anzhi Makhachkala.

Hiddink had a brief and unsuccessful second stint as Netherlands boss, then succeeded Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in December 2015 and helped the team recover from a shocking start to their title defence season, but that was just a half-season tenure.

A year as China Under-21 coach followed, and then the curtailed spell as Curacao boss, his final act, barring a change of heart.

Lodeweges, who was assistant to Ronald Koeman until his departure to Barcelona earlier this month, had the responsibility of selecting the full squad for the first time.

He has taken the opportunity to introduce fresh faces and recall some familiar ones not seen in the selection for several years, while Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined after knee surgery.

Attacking midfielder Ihattaren impressed in his 22 Eredivisie appearances for PSV in 2019-20 and declared for the Netherlands last year having also been eligible for Morocco.

Ball-playing centre-back Schuurs broke into Ajax's first-team squad before Dutch football was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Similarly, attack-minded left-back Wijndal – also 20 years old, like Ihattaren and Schuurs – earned rave reviews with AZ prior to the 2019-20 campaign being cancelled.

While those three will be hoping for their first caps, Leroy Fer and Tim Krul are aiming to return to action with the national side after significant periods away.

Krul last played for his country in October 2015, while Fer's absence has been 11 months longer – he featured most recently against Mexico in November 2014.

Daley Blind was among several on the provisional list, but he has been discarded after a recent health scare in an Ajax friendly.

The centre-back, who was last year fitted with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator after being diagnosed with heart muscle inflammation, collapsed in the meeting with Hertha Berlin but insisted he was "feeling fine" when he provided an update on Wednesday.

Myron Boadu, Teun Koopmeiners and Calvin Stengs were among the more surprising omissions of those on the provisional list.

The Netherlands face Poland on September 4 and Italy three days later.

Netherlands squad in full:

Jasper Cillessen (Valencia), Marco Bizot  (AZ), Tim Krul (Norwich City); Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (PSV), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Hans Hateboer (Atalanta), Perr Schuurs (Ajax), Joel Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion), Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Owen Wijndal (AZ); Donny van de Beek (Ajax), Leroy Fer (Feyenoord), Mohamed Ihattaren (PSV), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Kevin Strootman (Marseille), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool); Luuk de Jong (Sevilla), Quincy Promes (Ajax), Ryan Babel (Galatasaray), Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham).

After an impressive World Cup that saw him score three goals in five games in helping the Netherlands to the quarter-finals, Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV in January for a reported fee of around £40million (€45m).

However, the 23-year-old forward, who also contributed to 21 goals in 14 Eredivisie matches this season, has endured a tough start to life in England.

He has failed to find the net in his first six games as Liverpool have won just one of their seven matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

Koeman, in his second spell as head coach of the Netherlands after taking over from Louis van Gaal, is concerned Gakpo's move to an underperforming team at just 23 years old is hampering his development.

Koeman told a YouTube show hosted by former footballer Andy van der Meyde: "He has ended up in a team that is not doing well.

"If you don't score or you're not important and you don't win any matches, it's very difficult, especially for a young player.

"If that was someone aged 28, with experience, it would be different."

Gakpo is not the only Netherlands star to struggle with a new club, with midfielder Ryan Gravenberch yet to start a Bundesliga match for Bayern Munich since signing from Ajax prior to this season.

Koeman feels the inferiority in quality of the Eredivisie in comparison to the top leagues in Europe is making it difficult for young stars to flourish after taking the leap.

"The level in England is higher than in the Netherlands," Koeman added.

"But they are also young boys, aren't they? Like Gravenberch going to Bayern and not playing. Then that is difficult."

The 26-year-old has featured in two games for Juventus since joining from Europa League winners Atalanta for €54million in August.

Koopmeiners, who missed out on a place at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands due to a muscle injury, has played just 135 minutes so far, but has created the third-most chances out of the Juve players (four).

And Motta said the Dutchman has already gelled well with his team-mates in training and expects him to make an impact if he is involved.

"It doesn't look like he hasn't trained for a month. He's integrating very well," Motta told reporters. 

"He's trying to put all his qualities at the disposal of the team. Everyone who is called up tomorrow is doing very well.

"We expect everything we expect from the rest of the team. If he plays tomorrow, he will perform great. Together with his teammates, he can do great things."

Motta joined as head coach in June and will become the 10th different manager to take charge of Juventus in the Champions League.

The Italian is looking forward to leading the team in the competition after they were banned last year for breaching licencing and Financial Fair Play rules.

"Great pride to start this competition. Then we play at home against a good team," Motta added. 

"I can't wait to start the match. We want to put in a great performance to bring the result on our side."

Juve had a busy transfer window with Koopmeiners the most high-profile of several arrivals, including fellow midfielders Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram plus left-back Juan Cabal.

However, the 42-year-old Motta remained tight-lipped on whether he would give chances to several debutants after a goalless draw with Empoli in Serie A on Saturday.

"Everything counts in football - experience, enthusiasm and desire. At Empoli, we played well without getting the result we wanted. Now it's a closed chapter," he added.

Juve midfielder Manuel Locatelli also said the draw at Empoli made them "angry, but it's a closed chapter", and they are looking forward to their game in Europe's top competition.

"Last year we missed it a lot. We are excited, and we can't wait to get on the pitch. Hearing the music is special, and the fans will give us a hand," the Italy international said.

"We have signed strong midfielders with a lot of quality and experience who raise the level of the team. It is a pleasure to play with them".

PSV come into the game with the French champions having yet to win in the Champions League, losing to Juventus before drawing 1-1 with Juventus last time out.

However, Peter Bosz's side come into the contest on the back of a 2-1 league win over AZ Alkmaar, taking them five points clear at the summit of the Eredivisie.

PSV have also scored 29 goals in their first nine league games, conceding just six times as they remain perfect so far, something Luis Enrique was wary of. 

"I think that with the expanded Champions League format there are lots of teams with very high levels," Luis Enrique told reporters. 

"Last season, they were the best team in their country, and they have had an incredible start to the season when you look at the statistics."

Luis Enrique led PSG to a 4-2 win over Strasbourg on Saturday, with Senny Mayulu, Marco Asensio, Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-In on target for the Parisiens. 

But after falling to a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in their last Champions League encounter, the PSG boss is expecting a similar challenge to the one his players have just faced.

"They are a top level team without doubt. I think it will be similar to the game against Strasbourg," he said.

"It will be tough for us because of how they play. They play far away from their goal.

"They press well and score goals and the two goals they scored were from high pressing.

"The Dutch teams play very good football and PSV know what to do with the ball."

This will be PSG's first ever European meeting with PSV, with the Parisiens only meeting with a Dutch side coming against Ajax in the 2014-15 group stage, winning one of those games and drawing the other.

After PSV, the Ligue 1 champions will face Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, though he said the team's priority focus was on Eindhoven. 

"The next game is always the most important one because that is the one you can control," the Spaniard said.

"With the new format of the Champions League, every home game is even more important. That also goes for PSV."

But Tuesday's hosts will be confident of a victory, with PSV having picked up just two wins in 18 away major European visits to French clubs (drawn nine, lost seven). 

A last-four clash with Jose Mourinho's Roma awaits Leicester as their Europa Conference League campaign gathers steam, with Thursday's 2-1 win at PSV highlighting their class.

Maddison scored a 77th-minute equaliser in Eindhoven, after Eran Zahavi's opener in the 27th minute for the Eredivisie hosts.

Ricardo Pereira then hit the winning goal in the 88th minute after Patson Daka had a shot blocked, carrying Brendan Rodgers' team into uncharted territory.

The first leg between the teams had finished goalless.

"I'm so proud of the boys, so proud of everyone here," Maddison told LCFC TV.

"These nights, there's such a big build-up, and you get that big-game feeling.

"We started a bit slow probably, and we actually played a lot better once they scored. We settled a little bit more when we were one goal behind, which is not ideal but is how it went.

"In the second half I thought we were brilliant, so intense, playing on the front foot, penning them in, and we scored two goals of quality to win the game, and I think we were deserved winners.

"I'm really happy and really proud of the lads."

Maddison's goal was his third of the season in the competition, the most by a Leicester player.

"I got the goal at a perfect time," said the England international. "It was brilliant from Ayoze Perez to chop the guy and lay it on a plate for me.

"From then I felt it, like we were going to go on and win the game, wherever it was going to come from. It felt we were fitter, more intense, and we go there in the end with Ricky at the back post."

The Parisiens needed a stunner from Achraf Hakimi to salvage a point at the Parc des Princes after Noa Lang had given the Eredivisie outfit a 34th-minute lead. 

Luis Enrique's side have struggled in this year's competition, with Hakimi's leveller only their second goal in the Champions League this term, despite netting 25 goals in Ligue 1 this campaign. 

PSG dominated for large parts on Tuesday, registering 26 shots, the most against PSV in a Champions League match since November 2018 (30 from Tottenham).

Luis Enrique's side have also now had 25 or more shots in each of their last three Champions League home games (also 30 against Borussia Dortmund and 26 against Girona).

"Efficiency was our main problem because we had a lot of chances," Marquinhos said.

"We had so many opportunities in the beginning but did not convert, while they were more clinical, opened the scoring, and it changed the scenario of the match."

But for all of PSG's attempts, only eight were on target, with the Parisiens underperforming their expected goals (xG) total by 1.57. 

Ousmane Dembele struck the woodwork in the 18th minute, while Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-In threatened, but they rarely threatened visiting goalkeeper Walter Benitez. 

"We are among the teams who create the most chances, the team are playing the way I want them to," said Luis Enrique.

"If you look at the statistics, we've been scoring a lot of goals," added Marquinhos, referring to their 25 in the opening eight Ligue 1 games this season.

PSG currently sit 17th in the new Champions League table ahead of Wednesday's fixtures, with games against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich to come.

"Our style of play has changed," Marquinhos said. "We need to be more calm in front of goal.

"These are things we need to work at in training and in our heads."

Girona found themselves two goals down at the break thanks to strikes from Ryan Flamingo and Malik Tillman, though the LaLiga side were still in the contest. 

Michel's team managed seven shots in the first 45 minutes compared to their opponents' 13, but boasted an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.76 to PSV's 0.61. 

However, hopes of a comeback were dashed 10 minutes after the break when Martinez was shown a second yellow card before one-way traffic ensued. 

Johan Bakayoko notched PSV's third seven minutes from time before Ladislav Krejci's own-goal confirmed a disappointing result for the LaLiga outfit. 

"The first half of both teams was very good in terms of the pace of play, looking for the opponent's goal," Michel told reporters.

"The expulsion was decisive. From there, PSV had chances and deserved to win. In this competition, the small details make a difference."

At the age of 21 years and 194 days, Martinez became the fifth-youngest Spaniard to be sent off in a Champions League match and the youngest since Gavi for Barcelona against Porto in October 2023, aged 19.

Girona have also now conceded four own goals in four games in the Champions League this season, already the most by a team in a single campaign.

They sit 26th in the Champions League table after just one win from their four games in the competition, with Sturm Graz up next for Michel's men. 

Blind echoed the thoughts of his manager at full-time, insisting his side had played well up until Martinez's dismissal. 

"The first chance was for us, but we conceded a goal from a throw-in, which cannot happen," Blind said.

"After that, we tried to play. It was an open game. We had a lot of movement when we had possession, but overall, PSV had the upper hand.

"We missed a few players through injury. It's a difficult situation. But I don't want to give that as an excuse. We need to do it with the players we have.

"We fought hard. We came out of the dressing room with good spirit. But after the red card, the game was over."

Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie put Juve 2-0 up at the break and Vlahovic set up Nico Gonzalez for the third strike, but the striker failed to find the net himself on Tuesday.

Vlahovic was visibly upset when he missed two chances towards the end of the game as the 24-year-old remained goalless in a third consecutive game across all competitions.

"Dusan always shows up in ideal conditions to train and play. I am happy with his work," Motta told Sky Sport.

"He didn't score and it's true that the striker always wants to score, it is also right that he has this ambition, but he must manage the emotional side.

"It happens to a striker not to score but he must think that on the pitch there are other things to do and that the goal will come. We also have other strikers, the important thing is that he participates in the team game."

Vlahovic attempted four shots but only found the target with one of those, despite accumulating an individual expected goals (xG) tally of 0.71, just shy of scorers Gonzalez (0.73) and McKennie (0.86).

This victory may never have been in doubt, though, considering Juventus have never lost their opening game of a Champions League campaign played at home, now winning seven and drawing three.

Motta, who was appointed in June after the club parted ways with Massimiliano Allegri, was still pleased with the win but believes his team can get better after his debut as a coach in Europe.

"Today I liked the concreteness," he said. "We can improve in many other things to make things difficult for our opponents.

"The goal we conceded is the thing that worries me the least. We can do better in terms of quality. We are going on the right path.

"We started the competition well with a win and now we shall continue like this."

Juve, who remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, next face Napoli and Genoa in Serie A before they travel to RB Leipzig in the Champions League on October 2.

The Ligue 1 champions salvaged a point when Hakimi rifled home from range to cancel out Noa Lang's 34th-minute opener, leaving Luis Enrique's side on four points after three games.

PSG were denied a late penalty, however, when the referee waved away spot-kick claims after Olivier Boscagli challenged Marco Asensio as the substitute was preparing to shoot.

Marquinhos also went close in the dying minutes, though Walter Benitez did just enough to palm away and earn his side a memorable draw.

Eredivisie leaders PSV, who made the most of PSG's mediocre midfield, are still winless with two points in the new format of Europe's premier club competition.

Data Debrief: Warning signs for PSG

Luis Enrique has only won 40% of his matches in the Champions League as PSG boss, winning six of 15 with three draws and six defeats, the lowest winning ratio from a head coach in the Qatari Sports Investment era.

That was not for a lack of dominance here, though, as PSG accumulated 2.43 expected goals (xG) to PSV's meagre 0.25.

Ousmane Dembele managed 0.93 of that xG total but found the target just once from six attempts, with five of those in the PSV area, as PSG failed to fire.

Ryan Flamingo got the scoring under way after 16 minutes as he turned Malik Tillman's long throw home, despite replays showing that it should have been disallowed as Tillman's foot was over the byline before releasing the ball.

Tillman got himself on the scoresheet 17 minutes later with a fine finish after he arribed into the box unopposed. 

Things went from bad to worth for Girona after half-time, with Arnau Martinez receiving a red card 10 minutes into the second half for a second bookable offence.

From then, it was all one-way traffic and PSV might feel aggrieved not to have won by a bigger margin given their glut of second-half chances.

Ismael Saibari was next to put the ball in the back of the net, although his effort was ruled out for a foul in the build-up following a VAR review.

Johan Bakayoko did get PSV's third with seven minutes to go, before a Ladislav Krejci own goal wrapped up the rout in the 88th minute. The result leaves Girona 26th in the table on three points, while PSV are 19th with five points.

They still lead the Eredivisie by 15 points but after winning 10 games on the trot, let a 2-1 lead slip and went down 3-2 to Ajax in Amsterdam on Saturday.

PSV have a good chance to get back on track when they host Girona in what will be the first meeting between the teams.

"Everyone who has played football has lost at some point," said PSV coach Peter Bosz on Monday.

"You go home with a bad feeling and wake up the next day with a bad feeling. But then you also know that the next match is coming up.

"When you play in Europe, there are two or three days in between. It is like that almost every week, so as a player or as a coach you have to learn to move on from your disappointment quickly. We discuss the game afterwards and then we draw a line under it and move on to the next one."

Girona have already taken on PSV's domestic rivals Feyenoord in the new-look Champions League this season, losing at the start of last month, though Bosz is expecting a stern test form last season's surprise package in LaLiga.

"A team that wants to dominate opponents," Bosz said of their Spanish opponents.

"Also against Feyenoord, more possession, 11 corners to Feyenoord's zero. They want to build from the back, play real football.

"They did a great job in Spain last year. If you finish third there, that's something very special. You need a lot of quality, otherwise you won't last a season. This year they're having a bit more trouble, also because of the extra matches in the Champions League."

PSV have yet to win in the group phase this season, while they have won just two out of 20 European Cup/Champions League games against Spanish teams (D9 L9).

However, the last Spanish side to win away at PSV in European competition was Granada in October 2020 in the Europa League (2-1), with each of the last three visiting sides failing to win there (D2 L1): Real Sociedad (D1) and Sevilla on two occasions (D1 L1).