PSV push starts with SchalkeMonday, 5 September 2005
PSV Eindhoven, semi-finalists last season, open their UEFA Champions League campaign at home to the Bundesliga runners-up. The Dutch champions return to the competition intent on putting aside the disappointment of last May when they were eliminated by AC Milan on away goals, Massimo Ambrosini's added-time strike deciding the issue.
PSV are marking their tenth season in the Champions League and have considerably more experience of the tournament than FC Schalke 04, who are making only their second appearance. Schalke contested Group C of the 2001/02 first group stage, losing their first three matches before winning two of their last three.
The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition despite PSV having played 28 previous games against German opposition since 1971. Of 14 home matches against Bundesliga teams, PSV have won six, drawn three and lost five.
However, PSV have lost three of their last four home games against German sides, including the last two. Their last meeting was with BV Borussia Dortmund in Group A of the 2002/03 Champions League first group stage, when Dortmund won 3-1.
Earlier, 1. FC Kaiserslautern had prevailed 1-0 at PSV in the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup for a 2-0 aggregate win. It was a second successive Philips Stadion victory for Kaiserslautern, who had triumphed 2-1 at PSV in the 1998/99 Champions League group stage.
The only break in the sequence was a 2-1 success for PSV at home to FC Bayern München in the 1999/00 first group stage - their last victory against German opposition. Ruud van Nistelrooij opened the scoring for PSV, for their only win in the group.
Schalke have been drawn against Dutch teams on two occasions, the first coming at the start of their glorious campaign in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup. Captained by Jens Lehmann, Schalke beat Roda JC 3-0 at home and drew 2-2 in the Netherlands, to begin a run that took the cup to Gelsenkirchen.
The other encounter between Schalke and a Dutch club occurred in last season's UEFA Cup group stage. Schalke visited Feyenoord and were beaten 2-1, but both sides qualified from Group A for the knockout rounds.
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