PSV look to stop the rot against Wolfsburg

PSV Eindhoven will be aiming to avoid a third straight defeat in UEFA Champions League Group B when they host VfL Wolfsburg on matchday four.

• Wolfsburg moved to the top of the group when defeating PSV 2-0 in Germany last time out – a result that left Phillip Cocu's men bottom.

Match background

PSV
• PSV won their opening home game in Group B 2-1 against Manchester United FC, prior to back-to-back defeats at PFC CSKA Moskva and Wolfsburg.

• PSV last faced German visitors in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 32, when they defeated Hamburger SV 3-2 through goals from Ola Toivonen, Balázs Dzsudzsák and Danny Koevermans. It was not enough to save them from elimination on away goals.

• Their overall record at home against Bundesliga clubs is W8 D3 L5.

Wolfsburg
• Dieter Hecking's men are looking for their first away points in Group B having lost their first game on the road 2-1 at Manchester United on matchday two.

• The Bundesliga club are unbeaten in four previous matches against Dutch opposition, including a 0-0 draw at Roda JC on their only prior visit to the Netherlands in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup second round.

• Diego Benaglio and Marcel Schäfer are the only survivors of their 5-1 home success against sc Heerenveen in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage.

Coach and player links
• This match falls 20 years ago to the month since Cocu first faced a German club in UEFA competition. He was in the PSV side that beat SV Werder Bremen 2-1 at home (2-1 agg) in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup third round.

• Overall Cocu played ten times against Bundesliga sides in Europe and his record was W4 D2 L4.

• Bas Dost played for Heracles Almelo (2008–10) and Heerenveen (2010–12) in the Eredivisie and appeared in nine games against PSV (W0 D1 L8). When he scored against PSV in a 2-2 draw with Heerenveen in April 2011, Luciano Narsingh provided the assist.

• Neither Luuk de Jong (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 2012–14) nor Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburger SV 2011–13) managed to beat Wolfsburg during their spells in the Bundesliga. Andrés Guardado also played in Germany with Leverkusen (2014).

• Maxime Lestienne scored his first goal in UEFA club competition in Germany, netting for Club Brugge KV in a 2-1 loss at Hannover 96 in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• André Schürrle was a substitute for Germany in the 2-1 group stage defeat of Denmark that sent Simon Poulsen and Nicklas Bendtner home from UEFA EURO 2012.

• Santiago Arias and Carlos Ascues have met on international duty twice this autumn. Arias's Colombia drew 1-1 in a September friendly with Ascues's Peru, then beat them 2-0 in a FIFA World Cup qualifying tie on 8 October.

• Players who have played together:
Dost & Jeffrey Bruma, Jetro Willems, Stijn Schaars, Davy Pröpper, Adam Maher, Narsingh and De Jong (Netherlands)
De Jong & Max Kruse (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 2013/14)
Dost & Narsingh (Heerenveen 2010–12)
Bendtner & Poulsen (Denmark)
Koen Casteels & Lestienne (Belgium Under-21)
Josuha Guilavogui & Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (France Under-21)

Match facts

PSV
• Arias is available after serving a one-game ban on matchday three.

• Gastón Pereiro struck his fifth goal in three games on Saturday as PSV beat bottom side De Graafschap 6-3 having earlier had a 3-0 lead wiped out. Andrés Guardado scored his first goal of the season.

• PSV are unbeaten at home in all competitions since 1 March and a 3-1 loss to AFC Ajax.

• PSV recorded their second 6-0 win of the season when they eased past the amateurs of SC Genemuiden in the Dutch Cup round of 32 on 27 October, Pereiro scoring a hat-trick.

• Poulsen is still out with the knee injury he sustained on matchday three. Lestienne returned to training on 25 October following the death of his mother three weeks earlier.

• Willems has yet to play this term having sustained a left knee injury on 14 July.

• Florian Jozefzoon (out since January, right knee) made his comeback as PSV's reserves drew 1-1 at Fortuna Sittard on 16 October.

• Menno Koch (knee) has not featured since 8 March, when he was on loan at NAC Breda.

Wolfsburg
• Bendtner struck his first ever Wolfsburg goal as a starter (at the ninth attempt) in Saturday's 2-1 home win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. His previous eight goals for the club had all come as a substitute.

• Julian Draxler's first goal for Wolfsburg sealed victory over Leverkusen 13 minutes from time.

• Holders Wolfsburg were defeated 3-1 at home by Bayern in the German Cup second round on 27 October.

• Schürrle scored a late consolation in that cup tie – his first goal at club level since 4 April.

• Christian Träsch was substituted after 26 minutes against Bayern with a thigh strain. Kruse missed the game after sustaining a muscle injury the previous day. Neither featured on Saturday.