PSV 4-0 Girona: Dutch side get first win of Champions League

PSV Eindhoven won their first match in the Champions League this season as they thrashed Girona 4-0 at the Philips Stadion on Tuesday.

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.

1 – Girona became the first Spanish side in the history of the Champions League to lose their first two away games in the competition, as well as being the only one to have failed to score in their first two outings. Difficulty. pic.twitter.com/n6xxG6HXRt

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 5, 2024

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.

Data debrief: PSV goal glut helps play-off hopes

PSV’s four-goal haul was the eighth time this season in which they have scored three goals or more in a match.

The victory gives them a four-point buffer to the bottom eight in the Champions League table and a goal difference of two.

Crucially, they are one of only three teams in the bottom half, alongside Atalanta and Bayern Munich, with a positive goal difference.