Postponement for Antwerp and Union as one team play-off qualification, PSV cannot play in the Champions League play-offs in the weekend
If Antwerp or Union manages to qualify for the European play-offs this week, the competition match will be postponed anyway. The chance of a postponement is very high because both plans started to win the first leg. It was announced today that the Dutch Football Association is also taking PSV, the larger of Union, into account. If the club from Eindhoven manages to qualify for the play-offs in the preliminary round of the Champions League, not to play them.
In the case of qualification, PSV must not play against FC Volendam in the Eredivisie on Saturday 20 August. That home game will then be sent to Wednesday 31 August, PSV reports.
The team of coach Ruud van Nistelrooy will play the return against AS Monaco on Tuesday for its own audience for a place in the play-offs. The first game in the principality last week at 1-1 PSV requested the KNVB earlier to bring the match against the Johan Cruijff Scale by one day. The club thought it would be better prepared for the away game against Monaco.
No Anderlecht-Ghent, also no Antwerp Union?
The winner of the match between PSV and Monaco will face Union of Rangers FC in two matches for a place in the group stage of the Champions League. The games in the playoffs are scheduled for August 16 and 17 and August 23 and 24.
In the Belgian league, the match between Anderlecht and AA Gent (weekend 19-21 August) has already been postponed because both clubs (most likely) play European preliminary rounds. This is to get as many Belgian teams as possible into the group stage of European tournaments. Anderlecht will have to – if Thursday does not go wrong against Paide – play in the play-off round of the Conference League, Ghent will play the last preliminary round of the Europa League.
Union will also receive a postponement during the upcoming qualifying that weekend. The team from Brussels defends a 2-0 lead on the field of Rangers FC on Tuesday. If they don’t give up anymore, they will advance to the play-offs of the Champions League. In the event of a loss, Union ends up directly in the group stage of the Europa League.
On August 20, Union normally plays against Antwerp in the competition, which – if things don’t go wrong against Lillestrom on Thursday – will also be active in Europe.