Crvena Zvezda vs PSV Eindhoven facts

Crvena Zvezda welcome PSV Eindhoven to Belgrade with little margin for error if they are to prolong their UEFA Champions League campaign.

The Serbian champions have three points in the league phase with one win – 5-1 against Stuttgart on Matchday 5, their last home game – and five defeats, losing 1-2 at AC Milan in their most recent fixture.

PSV have eight points with two wins, two draws and two defeats, losing 1-0 at debutants Brest on Matchday 6.

Previous meetings

2004/05 Champions League third qualifying round
Crvena Zvezda 3-2 PSV
PSV 5-0 Crvena Zvezda
PSV reached the group stage despite a first-leg loss in Belgrade, goals from Milan Dudić (20), Boško Janković (39) and Marko Pantelić (59) giving the Serbian side victory with Park Ji-Sung (8) and John de Jong (65) replying for PSV. The Dutch side ran away with it in Eindhoven, however, thanks to two goals from Mark van Bommel (9pen, 56) and one apiece from DaMarcus Beasley (32), De Jong (57) and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (80).

Form guide

Crvena Zvezda

Record vs Dutch clubs: W4 D1 L1 F12 A12
Home record vs Dutch clubs: W3 D0 L0

The 2004 games against PSV are Crvena Zvezda's most recent against a team from Netherlands.

Crvena Zvezda won their first two ties against Eredivisie clubs, beating Rapid JC – now Roda JC – 6-3 on aggregate in the 1956/57 European Cup first round (4-3 a, 2-0 h) and Sparta Rotterdam 3-2 in the 1971/72 European Cup Winners' Cup second round (1-1 a, 2-1 h).

The Belgrade side have reached the Champions League proper for the fourth time – all since 2018/19.

Crvena Zvezda finished fourth in Group G in 2023/24, behind Manchester City, Leipzig and Young Boys, losing five of their six games.

The Serbian champions started their 2024/25 campaign in the play-offs, turning round a 2-1 loss at Bodø/Glimt with a 2-0 home win against the Norwegian champions.

Losses to Benfica (1-2) and Barcelona (2-5) this season have made it six defeats in Crvena Zvezda's last 24 home European matches (W13 D5).

European champions in 1991, Crvena Zvezda claimed their seventh successive league title – and 35th overall – in 2023/24, also winning the Serbian Cup for the fourth season in a row.

PSV Eindhoven

Record vs Serbian clubs: W1 D0 L1 F7 A3
Away record vs Serbian clubs: W0 D0 L1

The tie against Crvena Zvezda are PSV's only games involving a club from Serbia.

This is PSV's 18th appearance in the Champions League proper – level with Ajax's Dutch record – and a second in succession.

The Eindhoven club returned to the group stage last season for the first time since 2018/19, finishing second behind Arsenal in Group B only to lose out to eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 (1-1 h, 0-2 a).

That was PSV's first knockout appearance since 2015/16, and just the fifth time they had progressed beyond the initial Champions League group stage.

A 1-0 home victory against Lens on Matchday 4 last season ended PSV's 15-game run without a win in the Champions League group stage, since a 2-1 defeat of CSKA Moskva on Matchday 6 in 2015/16.

A 3-2 Matchday 5 win in Seville last season is PSV's only success in their last 20 away matches in the Champions League proper (D6 L13), going back to a 1-0 victory at CSKA on 27 November 2007; this season they have lost 1-3 at Juventus before drawing 1-1 at Paris Saint-Germain and losing at Brest.

The Eindhoven side have won five of their last 18 European away games, losing six.

This is the first time PSV have qualified directly for the Champions League proper since 2016/17.

Having finished second in the Eredivisie for three successive seasons, PSV claimed their first league title since 2017/18. Peter Bosz's side won 29 of their 34 league games, losing only one, their final tally of 91 points eclipsing Ajax's previous record of 89 set in 1997/98.

Links and trivia

Have played in Netherlands:
Uroš Spajić (Feyenoord 2020/21 loan)
Luka Ilić (Twente 2020–22)
Vanja Drkušić (Heerenveen 2016–19)

Latest news

Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda have won all three games since losing at AC Milan on Matchday 6, scoring 16 goals and conceding three.

The Serbian champions have won 19 of their 20 league games this season, scoring 71 goals and conceding 12.

Crvena Zvezda have won 21 of their last 27 games in all competitions, losing the other six – all in the Champions League.

Having claimed their fourth successive Serbian Cup in 2023/24, Crvena Zvezda will be at home to OFK Beograd in the last 16 of this season's competition.

Crvena Zvezda's league campaign resumes at TSC on 1 February.

The Belgrade club have recorded friendly wins against Mura (4-2), Pogoń Szczecin (5-2), Surkhon Termez (3-1) and Levski Sofia (4-0) this month.

Cherif Ndiaye, who has four goals in his last four league appearances, is Crvena Zvezda's top scorer in the league this season with 13 goals, three more than Luka Ilić. Bruno Duarte, who has four in his last five league games, is on nine.

Bruno Duarte did not play in Crvena Zvezda's January friendlies due to injury.

Peter Olayinka suffered an Achilles injury on Matchday 3 and has not played since.

Omri Glazer, whose last appearance came for Israel on 14 November, has been sidelined by an adductor injury although he is back in full training.

PSV

The Dutch champions won their first ten Eredivisie games this season and 14 of the first 15 (L1) but a 3-0 home win against Feyenoord on 22 December is their only victory in the last four (D1 L2).

Peter Bosz's team went down 3-1 at Zwolle on Saturday, making it two losses in their last four Eredivisie matches – as many as in the previous 65 (W55 D8).

A 1-0 loss at Heerenveen on 14 December ended PSV's run of scoring in 65 successive Eredivisie matches – a total of 209 goals – surpassing their own league record of 54 between October 2014 and March 2016.

PSV have won 21 of their last 26 league games (D2 L3).

A 2-2 draw at home to AZ Alkmaar on 11 January is the only one of PSV's last 20 league matches to end all square.

The Eindhoven club launched a stunning comeback to beat Excelsior in the last 16 of the Dutch Cup on 14 January, a match they trailed 1-3 after 86 minutes; they ultimately prevailed 5-4 after extra time and will play Feyenoord in the last eight.

Malik Tillman is facing a spell on the sidelines having suffered "a serious ankle injury" against Excelsior.

Couhaib Driouech has been out since 23 November with an ankle problem.

Adamo Nagalo (out since 25 October, shoulder) has also been sidelined while Sergiño Dest has not played since suffering a knee injury in May.